How can I blur photos on my iPhone?

If your photo was shot in Portrait mode, the editing is simple: go to Edit → adjust the depth slider. That increases or decreases the blur strength. For photos not taken in Portrait mode, you can’t retroactively apply the same effect. In that case, use apps like Snapseed (Brush → Blur) or Photoshop Express. Both allow selective blurring, which is ideal for privacy edits. Apple’s built-in tools are limited, but they cover the basics. For professional control, third-party apps win.

Hi! The iPhone actually gives you a couple of different ways to blur photos, depending on what you want to do. If it’s a portrait photo (taken with Portrait mode on the Camera app), you can adjust the blur afterwards in the Photos app. Just open the photo, tap Edit, and use the little “f” slider (aperture) at the top to make the background more or less blurry. That’s great for artistic shots. Now, if you want to blur a certain part of a picture—like covering private info—that’s not built-in to the Photos app. For that, you’ll need to use either Markup (where you can use the highlighter tool to smudge things) or download a free app like Snapseed or Fotor, which lets you blur specific areas with a brush. I use Snapseed a lot; it’s free and really intuitive. So, you’re covered both ways: built-in tools for background blur and apps for selective blur.

The Photos app is enough for Portrait blur, but not selective edits. I use Fotor when I need to blur license plates or text—it’s quick and simple. Apple doesn’t yet offer a true “blur tool” for regular images, so third-party apps are your best bet.