Blur the background of a photo while keeping the subject sharp — the tool detects the person or object with an on-device AI model, softens everything behind it, and lets you tune the blur as many times as you like. Everything runs in your browser and the image is never uploaded.
How it works
The tool cuts the subject out of the photo as a transparent layer, blurs a copy of the original as the backdrop, then composites the crisp subject back on top. Because the cut-out is cached, changing the blur strength only redraws the canvas — the AI never runs twice for the same image.
Steps
- Upload a PNG, JPG, or WebP photo with a clear subject.
- Choose Person for people or Object for products, objects, and animals.
- Press Blur background. The first run downloads a small AI model (once) and detects the subject.
- Drag the blur strength slider and watch the preview update instantly.
- Download the result as a PNG.
The first run fetches the AI model from a CDN (about 26 MB for people, 5 MB for objects); later runs reuse it. Your photo is decoded, matted, and composited locally — nothing is uploaded and no account or credits are required.
Person vs Object: which mode should I use?
| Mode | Best for | Model | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Person | Portraits, headshots, team and profile photos | MODNet (Apache-2.0) | Tuned for hair and soft edges around people |
| Object | Products, objects, food, animals | U-2-Netp (Apache-2.0) | General salient-subject detection; smaller download |
Pick the mode that matches the main subject. If a person photo looks rough around the edges, there is nothing to switch — the person model already handles fine detail; try a photo where the subject stands out clearly from the background.
Choosing a blur strength
| Blur | Look | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Low (2–12 px) | Gentle softening, background still readable | Subtle depth, keeping context |
| Medium (12–30 px) | Clear separation, portrait-style bokeh | Profile pictures, product shots |
| High (30–60 px) | Background reduced to color and shape | Hiding a messy or private background |
Because re-adjusting is free and instant, start in the middle and slide until the subject pops the way you want.
Example input and output
Input: a headshot taken in a cluttered room. Settings: Person, 24 px blur. Output: the person stays sharp while the room behind them melts into a smooth, professional-looking backdrop — ready to download as a PNG.
Why the background never shows a transparent edge
A blur samples pixels beyond the edge of the image, which can leave a faded border. This tool draws the blurred backdrop slightly larger than the canvas so those softened edges fall outside the visible area, keeping the frame fully covered.
Limitations
Animated formats (such as GIF) are treated as a single still frame by the browser. Very low-contrast subjects — where the subject and background are similar colors — can be harder for the AI to separate cleanly.
