A picture is worth a thousand words, but the visual elements don’t all deserve to be the focus of attention. Most of the action takes place in the foreground, while the background sets the mood. To enhance the subject, you may be tempted to try all kinds of digital effects. But sometimes, a simple background blur is enough to bring it into sharper relief, and in this guide, we'll explain how you can apply background blur in Android.
How to Blur Background in Android While Taking a Photo
Nowadays, just about every Android phone includes a Portrait Mode which automatically identifies the subject to focus on and blurs the background in the process.
While taking a photo, you’ll also see an 'f-shaped symbol'. This lets you adjust the focal length while adding a slight blur effect to the background.
But this autofocus adjustment in portrait mode is nothing but smart guesswork. Thankfully, even on regular mode, you can manually change the focus on a particular subject.
Simply tap on the subject to direct the camera to focus on it. You’ll see a small rectangle or a circle highlighting where the camera lens is focused.
As a result, you’ll get a blurry background in Android, even on pictures taken in the standard camera mode. If you want more control over how your phone captures shots, you can check out the best Android camera apps list to spice up your photos.
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How to Blur Background in Android After Taking a Photo
Applying a background blur on pictures afterwards is just as easy, and you don’t need any separate app for it either.
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Blur Background in Android Using Google Photos App
Google Photos has long had the option to apply a blur or bokeh effect. The tool may keep relocating, but it’s always there. Here’s how to use Google Photos to blur the background in Android:
- Open the image in Google Photos, tap on Edit from the bottom, then go to Actions > Portrait Blur.
- Use the Blur slider to change the strength of the effect. You can also tap on an area to focus on it while blurring everything else.
- Then, use the Depth slider to adjust the depth of field for the blur effect. A lower number brings the depth effect closer; a higher number keeps it further in the background.
- Long-press on the preview to check the before and after. Once satisfied, tap on Done and select Save as copy.
The new image with the blur effect will be saved as a new image in your photos library.
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Blur Background Using Native Gallery/Photos App
Many smartphone brands offer a built-in blur effect in their Android skins' native gallery apps.
On Samsung phones with One UI, the Gallery app lets you blur the background in photos captured using both the portrait mode and regular mode. Here’s how:
- Portrait photos: Open the image, tap on the pencil icon, and then select Background blur (the second option in the bottom row).
- Regular photos: Open the image, tap on the pencil icon, and select Background blur (the last option in the bottom row).
A similar option is found in other gallery apps. For example, phones running ColorOS and HyperOS have a native blur tool. Access this by opening a photo in the respective Gallery or Photos app and tapping on the pencil icon.
The blur effect tool may go by different names, such as Blur, Portrait Blur, or Bokeh. But all of them work similarly to blur the background on photos taken on your Android device.
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Blur Background in Android Using Snapseed App
Google's recently revived Snapseed has two separate blur effects - Lens Blur and Motion Blur. Here's how you can use them to blur the background in your Android phone.
- Launch the Snapseed app on your Android phone, tap on Add Photo, select an image, and hit Done.
- Now, select Tools to bring up a list of available options and choose Lens Blur.
- Here, move the circle to the object you want to keep in focus. Pinch to shrink or enlarge the focus area.
- Now adjust the Blur strength along the scale to blur the area outside the circle. You can change the focus area from a circle to any other shape or keep a linear focus area while blurring everything outside of it.
Within Snapseed’s Tool menu, you’ll also find Motion Blur, which is another fantastic tool to blur the background on Android while also introducing a speedy motion effect.
- Simply tap on Background to automatically apply the motion blur and then use the Blur Strength scale to adjust the blur level.
These were some of the ways to blur the background of a photo on your Android device. Even though the best camera phones will give you better photos to work with, they're not a must. As long as you have a photo with a clear foreground and background, adding a blur effect will not only make your subject more prominent but also enhance the photos on the whole.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can I blur the background on an Android photo?
Yes, you can easily blur the background of a photo using Google Photos, Snapseed or the native gallery app on your Android phone. You can also use Portrait Mode to apply background blur while taking a photo.
How to blur the background in a gallery?
Some Android OEMs have a built-in blur option in their gallery apps. To access it, open the photo, tap on Edit (pencil icon) and look for a Portrait Blur or Bokeh option.
Why isn't blur on Android?
The blur tool is available on most photo apps on Android, but it may be hiding under a different name, such as Portrait Blur or Bokeh.
