Best Blur Background Apps for Android & iPhone: AppStore and Google Play stores are simply teeming with a huge number of applications for every taste and color, and programs that allow you to edit photos and videos on your phone are especially popular.
Not everyone has SLR cameras, and it is not always convenient to use them, but a mobile phone is always at hand. Sometimes you take a picture or a selfie that works well, and the background ruins everything.
Best Blur Background Apps for Android & iPhone
But that won’t be a problem anymore! In this article, I will share with you the best, in my opinion. These applications will make even the most uncomplicated portrait irresistible – as if a professional photographer took it with a cool camera. With these mobile programs, you can easily blur the background in any photo and add a beautiful bokeh effect.
Blur background apps on Android
So, the applications that will be discussed below are an absolute must-have for lovers of mobile photography.
1. Bokeh (Background defocus)
Bokeh (Background defocus) is, in my opinion, one of the best bokeh and background blur applications for Android phones.
Please note that this application was created specifically for shooting and not for working with already taken photographs. The program is best suited for taking portraits and selfies and photographing objects at close range.
For best results, the main subject should be 15–45 cm from the camera, and the background depth should be at least 5 m. Keep the camera still! The end results will vary depending on the specifications of the camera and your mobile device.
2. AfterFocus
AfterFocus is another popular application for creating a bokeh effect and background blurring on photos. The program allows you to work with the background in automatic and manual mode.
All you need to do is draw your finger around the area where the focus will be, and the application will already blur the background around this area. You can also add blur to moving objects to highlight their movement visually.
In this video, you can watch how to use AfterFocus to transform an ordinary photo into a beautiful portrait. The difference is amazing, isn’t it?
3. DSLR Image Blur Background, Bokeh Effects Photo
Well, I’ll also add one more application to the list. This will be the DSLR Camera Blur Background.
Quite a good application that can easily do its job – blur the background in the photo. Here you will find all the necessary tools for working with the background and creating bokeh.
Background Blur Apps for iOS
Please note that some iOS apps are only for dual-camera phones. If you have a phone of an older model, then immediately download the last application on the list!
4. Slør (iOS only, the dual camera required)
It is possible that the bokeh technique is not a familiar word for you. However, it is an indispensable tool for creating professional portraits. Technological progress does not stand still, so to create a bokeh effect, you no longer need a professional camera, and you do not need to be a Photoshop specialist.
Moreover, you don’t even need the latest mobile phone with a superb camera, as you can take a beautiful portrait with the perfect background thanks to the Slør app.
When photography enthusiasts talk about bokeh, they mean blurring the background in the picture. If you take a photo with this effect, then the focus remains only on the main element of the photo, be it a person or some object.
Using the Portrait feature on your iPhone, you can also achieve this very bokeh effect without resorting to a professional DSLR camera. Still, it won’t be enough to get a really cool shot. This is where the Slør app comes in handy! This program will enhance any portrait and take your mobile photography to the next level!
When you take a photo on your iPhone in Portrait mode, the phone’s camera saves the image itself and information about the distance between objects captured in the photo. It is this information that the Slør app will take into account to maximize your portraits.
If you want to blur the background of the photo, then just use the slider. Move the slider on the droplet ruler until you get the best effect. If you want to move the focus from one object to another, then just click on the desired object/face/person with your finger.
The app also has two other effects. The Macro effect gives the impression that your subject was small, and you used the zoom (zoom) to get closer to it. On the other hand, the “Tilt” effect will “move” the main subject of the portrait “deeper” in the photograph.
You can achieve roughly the same blurred background effect with the Slør app.
5. Focos (iOS only, the dual camera required)
Focos, is another excellent app for creating a bokeh effect and distributing it evenly across a photo right on your phone.
A distinctive feature of this application from similar programs is that it can build a 3D depth map of a photograph. By experimenting with this 3D image map, you can achieve a really cool blurred background effect and add curly “highlights” at precisely the levels at which they will look best.
In addition to working with the background of a photo, in the Focos app, you can edit aperture, light, contrast, shadows, and more.
Please note that the app only works for the latest iPhones (7+, 8+, X). There must be a dual camera to work with this app.
For inspiration, here’s a selfie primer chip night shot using the application Focos. In my opinion, the blurred background with night city lights and cars running by looks just fine! Pay attention to the curly lights as well. It is possible that you can achieve a more or less normal bokeh effect using a phone camera, but such a pattern can only be made in a special photo editor application.
6. Blur Photo Effect Background (iOS, no dual camera needed)
And finally, another application called Blur Photo Effect Background. This application is very simple to create blurred backgrounds on photos. You don’t need a dual camera for this app, which means it will fit any iPhone model.
Key features include:
- High-resolution image editing with the ability to enlarge to work on details.
- Adjust the size of the brush. Thus, your finger will not “run over” unnecessary objects.
- Soft and hard brushes, as well as adjusting the intensity of the blur.
- 13 effects.
On this, perhaps, I will end my list of mobile applications for blurring the background in the photo. If you suddenly missed some good applications, let me know in the comments.
Happy photography! ?
