How to Unblur an Image

Fix the image blur with Movavi Photo Editor:

  • Download the photo editor.

  • Add the image to the program.
  • Increase the sharpness of the picture.
  • Save the unblurred image.

How to unblur a picture

Ben Jacklin Edited by Ben Jacklin

Remember how frustrated you felt when you came home after a great concert by your favorite band and realized that half the pictures you took were blurred? Maybe the subject was moving, or the camera was shaking, or the light conditions were not that good. Whatever the reason, the damage might seem irreversible. Fortunately, there are ways to fix blurred images. The right photo repair software can help you to remove blur from photos.

In this article, we’ll show you how to unblur an image using four different approaches: an online tool, Adobe Photoshop®, a mobile app, and Movavi Photo Editor. We hope this will help you to save your memories without the blurs.

How to fix blurry pictures using Movavi Photo Editor

Movavi Photo Editor is a useful desktop tool available for PC and Mac. Using it to fix a picture is no problem, even for a newcomer to photo editing. Follow the guide below, and you’ll be able to make your photo look a lot sharper with just a few clicks.

Pros

  • Lightweight

  • Quick

  • Can unblur part or all of an image

Cons

  • Only the trial version is free

Step 1. Install Movavi Photo Editor

Open the downloaded file and follow the installation instructions.

Step 2. Add a photo

Click the Browse for Images button to choose an image you want to unblur, or simply drag and drop the photo onto the working area of the program.

Add photos you want to unblur to Movavi Photo Editor

Step 3. Edit your picture

It’s time to unblur your image. On the Adjust tab, open the Detail section and move the Sharpness slider until it smooths out the fuzziness. Drag the Details slider to the right to emphasize textures. Besides sharpening, you can also try different types of photo correction: move other sliders in the Light section like Contrast and Brightness to further improve your pics.

Move Sharpness and Details sliders to unblur images

You can also remove the blur from just a part of your photo. Use one of the Selection Tools to mark the area you want to enhance. Adjust the Sharpness and Details for the selected area.

Mark the area to partially fix blurry pictures

Step 4. Save the corrected image

Click the Floppy disk icon in the upper-right corner of the program window. In the new window that opens, enter the filename, choose the output folder, and select the appropriate output format. Finally, click the OK button to save the photo to your hard drive. Deblurring pictures has never been so easy!

Save the clear picture

How to unblur a photo with Adobe Photoshop®

This program is a powerful photo editor that can enhance pictures in many ways, including, of course, unblur photos. Many people use this editor because of its broad functionality. If you already have a license, you can use it to fix blurred photos. Here is how to unblur an image in Adobe Photoshop®:

  1. Open the file in Adobe Photoshop®.

  2. Go to the Filter menu and find the Sharpen option. There, click Shake Reduction. The program will do the rest automatically.

If you like the result, save the image by clicking File and then Save. If not, experiment with the Advanced panel in the Shake Reduction option.

Pros

  • Many preferences to work with

  • Able to deblur a fragment of a photo

Cons

  • Might be too complicated for a single task

  • The price is high if you just need to unblur some pictures and nothing more

How to unblur a picture online

There are many online tools that are easily accessible from any device - you just need an internet connection to use them. Almost all of them can unblur an image, as it is one of the basic functions. For our example, we chose Fotor. Here’s a short guide on repairing your picture with this tool.

  1. Go to the Fotor’s website.

  2. Hit the Edit a Photo button. You’ll see a new screen. Click anywhere in the rectangle in the middle to open the dialog menu. Locate your file and hit Open.

  3. Now, the unblurring part. On the left panel, open the Basic drop-down menu. Move the Sharpness slider to the right until you like the result on the preview.

  4. Click the Save button at the top. Specify the name, extension, and quality of the resulting file. Hit Download. Note that some options are available only for registered users.

Pros

  • Free

  • Has a real-time preview

Cons

  • Can only unblur the whole image

  • Some functions require you to register

How to make a picture unblurry on iPhone or Android

Smartphones also have many tools that can help repair a poor-quality photo, so you don’t need to transfer the picture to your computer or laptop. Just find an appropriate app in the App Store or Google Play, download it, and get it done. In this guide, we used the Snapseed app to unblur pictures. Here’s how.

  1. Download and run the app. Click Open on the top-left and locate your photo.

  2. Tap Tools and then Details. Touch the Preferences icon at the bottom. There are two options: Sharpening and Structure. The first just unblurs the photo, and the second one picks out more detail. To use either of the options, tap it and swipe to the right until the result meets with your approval.

  3. Tap the Check icon and then Export. Here, you can save the photo or its copy.

Pros

  • Free of charge

  • Has a sharing option

Cons

  • Can only unblur entire pictures

  • The unblurring function may be hard to find

As you can see, unblurring an image is quite fast and easy with the right tools. All of the ways described are great, but we recommend using Movavi Photo Editor because it is very simple and has a range of features that can help you create a masterpiece from almost any photo.

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