Blur Image Online

Add gaussian, box, or motion blur to any image. Adjust intensity with a slider.

Runs in your browser — images never leave your device
Drop your image here or click to upload
JPG, PNG, WebP, GIF, BMP · No size limit
Intensity: 5
Size: —
Blur: Gaussian, 5px

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How It Works

1

Upload Your Image

Drop any image — JPG, PNG, WebP, GIF, or BMP. No size limit.

2

Choose Blur Type & Intensity

Select gaussian, box, or motion blur and adjust the intensity slider from 1 to 50.

3

Download

Download your blurred image as PNG or JPG with no watermarks.

How to Blur an Image

Image blurring softens an image by averaging neighboring pixel values, reducing detail and creating a smooth, out-of-focus effect.

Blurring is one of the most versatile image processing techniques. It can be used for artistic effects, privacy protection, background softening, noise reduction, and more. Different blur algorithms produce different visual effects, from the smooth, natural look of Gaussian blur to the uniform softening of box blur to the directional streak of motion blur.

The intensity (or radius) of the blur determines how much smoothing is applied. A low value (1-5px) creates subtle softening ideal for portrait retouching or noise reduction. Medium values (10-20px) create a noticeable out-of-focus effect good for backgrounds. High values (30-50px) create extreme blurring useful for privacy protection or abstract art.

Gaussian Blur

Gaussian blur is the most commonly used blur type. It applies a weighted average where pixels closer to the center have more influence than distant pixels, following a bell-curve (Gaussian) distribution. This creates a natural, smooth blur that closely mimics how a camera lens renders out-of-focus areas. Gaussian blur is the standard choice for portrait skin smoothing, background defocusing, and general image softening.

Box Blur

Box blur applies a simple, unweighted average of all pixels within the blur radius. Every neighboring pixel has equal influence regardless of distance. This creates a more uniform, "flat" blur effect that can look slightly less natural than Gaussian but is useful for certain artistic styles and for creating a frosted glass effect.

Motion Blur

Motion blur simulates the effect of camera or subject movement during exposure. It creates a directional streak effect, as if the image were captured while the camera was moving horizontally. This is popular for adding a sense of speed or dynamism to photos, or for creating artistic long-exposure effects.

Image Blur Use Cases

Privacy Protection

Blur faces, license plates, addresses, or any sensitive information in photos before sharing them publicly. A heavy blur (30-50px) makes content completely unreadable while keeping the rest of the image clear.

Background Softening

Create a depth-of-field effect by blurring the background of a photo. This draws attention to the subject and gives images a professional, DSLR-camera look — even from phone photos.

Thumbnail Backgrounds

Create blurred image backgrounds for YouTube thumbnails, social media posts, and website hero sections. A blurred version of the main image makes an attractive, cohesive background.

Portrait Retouching

Light Gaussian blur (2-5px) smooths skin texture and reduces blemishes in portraits. This creates a soft, flattering look commonly used in beauty photography and social media selfies.

Text Readability

Blur a photo to use as a background behind text overlays. The blurred image provides visual context without competing with the text, making headlines and captions easier to read.

Artistic Effects

Motion blur adds a sense of speed and movement. Gaussian blur creates dreamy, ethereal compositions. Box blur produces a stylized, modern aesthetic. Blur is a fundamental tool in creative image editing.

Image Blur Tool Features

Gaussian Blur

Natural, smooth blur that mimics camera lens defocus. Best for general use.

Box Blur

Uniform blur with equal pixel weighting. Creates a frosted glass effect.

Motion Blur

Directional blur simulating camera movement. Adds speed and dynamism.

Adjustable Intensity

Fine-tune blur from 1px (subtle) to 50px (extreme) with a precision slider.

100% Private

Everything runs in your browser. Images never leave your device.

Unlimited & Free

No limits, no sign-up, no watermarks. Blur as many images as you need.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is my image uploaded to a server?
No. All blur processing happens in your browser using the HTML5 Canvas API. Your image never leaves your device — completely private and secure.
What's the difference between Gaussian and Box blur?
Gaussian blur uses a weighted average (bell curve) where nearby pixels have more influence, creating a natural, smooth look. Box blur uses equal weights for all pixels in the radius, creating a more uniform, slightly artificial blur. For most purposes, Gaussian looks more natural and is the recommended default.
Can I blur just part of an image?
This tool applies blur to the entire image. For selective (region-based) blurring, you would need a more advanced editor. However, you can blur the entire image here and then composite it with the original in another tool to achieve selective blur.
How do I blur a face for privacy?
Upload the image and increase the blur intensity to 30-50px using Gaussian blur. This will make all details completely unreadable. For full-image privacy blur, this is the fastest approach. For face-only blur, consider a dedicated face blur tool.
Does blurring reduce file size?
When saved as JPG, blurred images often have smaller file sizes because blur reduces detail and compression algorithms can represent smooth areas more efficiently. PNG files may not change much in size since PNG compression works differently.
Can I undo the blur?
Click "Reset" to return to the original, unblurred image. However, once you download a blurred image, the blur is permanent — there's no way to "unblur" an image because the original detail information has been removed.
What's motion blur good for?
Motion blur simulates camera movement, creating a horizontal streak effect. It's great for adding a sense of speed to action shots, creating artistic long-exposure looks, or making static images feel more dynamic.
What image formats are supported?
The tool supports JPG, PNG, WebP, GIF, BMP, and any image format your browser can display. Output is available as PNG (lossless) or JPG (compressed, smaller file).
Is there a file size limit?
No enforced limit, but very large images may take a few seconds to blur since all processing happens on your device. Images under 20MP render nearly instantly.
Does it work on mobile?
Yes, fully responsive. Works on iPhone, Android, iPad, and any device with a modern browser. The blur slider works with touch.
Can I blur a transparent PNG?
Yes. PNG images with transparency are fully supported. The alpha channel is preserved through the blur operation. Download as PNG to keep transparency.
What blur intensity should I use?
It depends on your goal: 1-3px for subtle skin smoothing, 5-10px for light background softening, 15-25px for strong defocus effects, and 30-50px for complete privacy blur. Experiment with the slider to find the right look.
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