Microsoft has introduced a new tool in the Photo app that lets users blur the background of their photos. The Photos app provides a range of editing tools, including blur tools. This feature is similar to the portrait mode available on smartphones, which can blur the photo background with a single click.
The Photos app automatically detects the image’s background and blurs it. You can also customize the blur intensity by dragging the slider as per your preference. This tool is useful as it highlights the main subject and gives your image a professional look. In this article, we will provide you with step-by-step instructions on how to blur the background of your photo using the Photos app on Windows 11.
How to Blur Background Using Photos App on Windows 11
Windows Photos allows users to edit their photos using several editing tools like adding Background Blur, filters, and much more. To access these tools on your computer, you must have the latest Photos app version (2023.11110.6001.0) or a newer version installed.
If the Photos app is running on the latest version, you can use the editing tools to blur the background of your photo.
Here’s how you can blur the background of your photo using the Photos app:
1. Open the image in the Photos app that you want to blur the background. Alternatively, open the Photos app and then choose a picture directly that you wish to edit from within the Photos app.
2. Once you choose the image to blur the background in the Photos app, click on the Edit image icon which is located at the top. Alternatively, press Ctrl + E keyboard shortcuts to navigate to the editing mode.
3. Next, click on the Background Blur icon on the editing toolbar.
4. Once you click the Background Blur tool, the Photos app will automatically analyze the picture, find the background, and blur it out on the highlighting subject.
5. Once the background gets blurred on your selected photo, you can also adjust the Blur intensity level by sliding the slider to the right.
Note
The default blur intensity is set to 50%. However, you can change it according to your needs.
6. Finally, click the Apply button and save the photo by clicking the Save options at the top right corner.
Once you finish the steps, the background of your photo gets blurred, which is similar to portrait mode. However, sometimes the automatic method does not yield the perfect result, as it fails to detect the background. To achieve the perfect blur, you can use the manual method.
How to Manually Blur Background Using Photos App
You can also manually blur the background of photos using the background blur tools in the Photos app on your computer. However, in some situations, the photos you choose to blur the background may not correctly identify and filter out all the backgrounds. In such cases, you will have to manually blur the pictures using the Brush tool.
Here’s how to do it.
1. Open the Photos app and select the picture you want to manually blur the background.
2. Click on the Edit image located at the top of the screen.
3. Then, click on the Background Blur icon on the editing toolbar.
4. Under the Background blur section, click the toggle next to Selection Brush Tool/Background Brush Tool to enable it on the right side.
5. Once you enable the selection tool, you will have some options on the screen to customize the blurred image according to your preferences.
6. You’ll get two options – Select area & Deselect area.
7. Click on the Select area option to choose the background area you want to blur. With the Deselect area option, you can erase areas you’ve blurred mistakenly.
8. While blurring the background manually in Photos, use the slider to adjust the brush size and softness. Selecting a larger brush will cover more area, while a soft brush will cover less area and create a smooth transition.
9. Next, use the circle brush tool which is located on the picture to select or deselect the area you want.
10. You can also use the Blur intensity slider to adjust the blur intensity on the picture.
11. If you want to add another blue effect, click the Add new background blur option.
12. Once you’re done with the blurred background, click the Apply button.
13. Finally, click Save options to save the blurred background image as a new image and then save it on your computer where you want to place it.
Conclusion
Here’s how you can easily blur the background of your photo using the Photos app on Windows 11. The app offers a range of tools to help you improve and edit your images with ease. Its user-friendly interface and additional features make it simple to enhance your photos by highlighting the main subject and creating compositions that look professional.
You can explore the Photos app to enhance your photographs and showcase your creativity with every blurred background. The background blur feature is quite useful, allowing you to adjust your images using various editing tools without relying on third-party software. Additionally, if you need to remove the background from an image, you can do so using the Photos app. Check out our guide on how to remove a background from an image on Windows 11 for more information.
