Online Tool Store
Portrait Background Blur
Preview a portrait with a blurred background at an adjustable strength and edge feathering, keeping the subject sharp for profile photos.
🔒 This tool runs entirely in your browser. Your files are never uploaded to a server.
Image
Portrait Background Blur
Frontend preview — no upload or external service.
Blur preview
Subject held sharp with a medium Gaussian blur of about 18 px on the background and 6 px of edge feathering to hide the mask boundary.
How the Portrait Background Blur works
- Upload the portrait — a clear separation between subject and background gives the best mask.
- Set blur strength; subtle usually reads more natural than strong for a profile photo.
- Increase feathering if the cut-out edge looks pasted, then export at profile size.
The method
Optical background blur comes from depth of field, which widens as the aperture opens and as the subject moves further from the background.
perceived blur grows with aperture diameter and with subject-to-background distance
Simulated blur mimics the result but not the cause, so a hard mask edge is the giveaway — feathering is what sells it.
FAQ
Why does the edge look cut out?
Because a mask boundary is sharper than any lens transition. Increase feathering, and expect hair and glasses to be the hardest areas for any automatic mask.
Is this the same as a portrait-mode photo?
No. A phone's portrait mode has depth data from multiple sensors. Applying blur afterwards works from the image alone, so it is an approximation.
Does my photo leave the device?
No. Image handling happens in the browser.
How we compare
| Feature | Online Tool Store | A desktop editor | An upload-based service |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adjustable edge feathering | ✓ | ✓ | Sometimes |
| Profile-size export | ✓ | Manual | ✓ |
| No subscription | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Photo stays on your device | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
Portrait Background Blur is tuned for profile pictures, where a natural-looking edge matters far more than the depth of the blur itself.