The short answer
Why use Zoom Blur?
Selective blur can separate a subject from a busy background or hide edge distractions. A movable focus area gives more control than blurring the whole frame.
Zoom Blur focuses on controlling sharp and blurred areas with a movable focal region. The sharp region and the softened region are composited in the browser. The transition depends on the focal position, radius, and strength you choose.
The selected file stays in this browser tab and is released when you leave the page. Large blur values can create soft halos near high-contrast edges. Check hair, text, and outlines before downloading.
What Zoom Blur does
Open the source photo
Drop, choose, or paste a supported file into Zoom Blur. Controlling sharp and blurred areas with a movable focal region. The source stays on your device; we work on a copy.
Choose what stays sharp
Zoom Blur is for controlling sharp and blurred areas with a movable focal region. The preview is the place to decide if the setting went too far. The original file is not overwritten.
Useful controls
Main controls: Blur amount, focal position, and sharp-area radius or band width. Working limit: 50 MB and 50 megapixels per image. Watch the preview at full size before you save. A current desktop browser usually has more memory than a phone.
Download a copy
Export is a flattened png with the focus effect applied. The download is a new file. Keep the original until you have opened the copy once.
Where Zoom Blur fits
These are ordinary jobs where the focused controls save time. They also show where a full editor or a manual review may still be the better choice.
Portraits
Hold attention on a face while reducing detail in the surrounding scene.
Product shots
Soften props or background clutter that competes with the main item.
Title cards
Create a quieter area where a caption can sit without losing contrast.
Start to finish
How to use Zoom Blur
- 01Choose, drop, or paste a supported file.
- 02Adjust the zoom blur controls and check the preview at full size.
- 03Download the finished copy and open it once before using it elsewhere.
What to expect from Zoom Blur
This table covers the parts that matter before you begin: what goes in, which controls do the work, what comes out, and where the browser draws a hard line.
| Check | What it means here |
|---|---|
| Supported input | JPEG, PNG, WebP, GIF, BMP, SVG and browser-supported AVIF images |
| Main controls | Blur amount, focal position, and sharp-area radius or band width |
| Output | A flattened PNG with the focus effect applied |
| Working limit | 50 MB and 50 megapixels per image |
| Privacy | Files and entered values stay in this tab. Filenames, pixels, metadata, OCR text, QR contents, locations, and passwords are not sent to analytics. |
Before you export
- Place the focus point before increasing blur strength.
- Use a wider sharp area around groups of people.
- Watch for halos along bright edges.
- Check the final image on a phone if that is where it will be viewed.
Frequently asked questions
If you cannot find what you are looking for, write us a message and we will get back to you.
What should I check before saving with Zoom Blur?
Does my file get uploaded?
Can I use Zoom Blur on a phone?
Will Zoom Blur overwrite my original file?
Why might the Zoom Blur result look different in another app?
Is Zoom Blur free to use?
How does Zoom Blur work?
What can I put into Zoom Blur?
How do I save the result from Zoom Blur?
Why did Zoom Blur fail or look wrong?
Will Zoom Blur keep a copy of my work?
Related tools
More in Blur & Focus.
Continue the workflow
These tools handle common next steps after zoom blur.