Blurred backgrounds in photographs are not only the prerogative of professional SLR cameras. Modern smartphones allow you to achieve the effect of blurring the background directly during shooting or after processing. But how can you do this if your phone doesn't support portrait mode? And what settings to choose for a natural result without distortion? Android allow you to achieve effect bokeh (background blur) directly during shooting or after processing. But how can you do this if your phone doesn't support portrait mode? And what settings to choose for a natural result without distortion?

Many users mistakenly think that blurring the background requires expensive equipment or complex apps. In fact, even budget models Xiaomi Redmi, Samsung Galaxy A-series or Realme cope with this task - the main thing is to know where to look for the necessary functions. In this article we will look at all the methods: from built-in camera tools to third-party applications with artificial intelligence.

You will learn:

  • 📱 How to enable portrait mode on any Android smartphone (including older models).
  • 🎨 Which applications best to blur the background after shooting (comparison Snapseed, AfterFocus and Focos).
  • ⚙️ Step-by-step settings for manual control of the blur level and correction of artifacts.
  • ⚠️ Typical mistakes, because of which the background looks unnatural (and how to avoid them).
📊 What smartphone do you have?
Xiaomi
Samsung
Google Pixel
Huawei/Honor
Another brand

1. Portrait mode in a standard camera: how to enable and configure

Most modern Android smartphones have built-in portrait mode (or Live Focus y Samsung, Bokeh y Huawei). This mode uses dual camera machine learning algorithms to separate the object from the background. activate:

On devices Google Pixel (starting from Pixel 2) the mode is called Portrait and is located in the main camera menu. For Samsung Galaxy (series S, Note, A50 and newer) look for Live Focus - it can be hidden under the button More (three dots or arrow for Owners Xiaomi (including Redmi Note And POCO) you need to select Portrait mode in the bottom menu.

If your phone one camera, portrait mode may still work - but the blur quality will be worse. In this case, the algorithm analyzes the depth of the scene based on contrast and object boundaries, which sometimes leads to segmentation errors (for example, blurring of hair or edges of clothing).

  • 🔍 How to check if it supports Does your phone have portrait mode:
    • Open the camera and scroll the shooting modes left/right.
    • If there is no item Portrait/Live Focus, look in Camera settings → Advanced modes.
    • On older models (before 2018), this mode may not be available.
  • ⚡ Tip for better results: shoot in portrait mode in good lighting. In the dark, the algorithms are less able to determine the boundaries of objects.

☑️ Preparation for shooting in portrait mode

Completed: 0 / 4

2. Manual blurring of the background after shooting: top 3 applications

If your phone does not support portrait mode or you want to edit a ready-made photo, third-party applications will come to the rescue. We tested dozens of apps and selected the three most effective:

Application Advantages Disadvantages Cost
Snapseed (Google) Accurate blur mask, support for layers, free Complicated interface for beginners Free
AfterFocus Automatic and manual segmentation, bokeh effects Advertising in the free version Free / $2.99
Focos (only for photos in format RAW) Aperture adjustment, 3D effect Does not work with JPEG without depth Free

Instructions for Snapseed (the most universal option):

  1. Open the photo in the application and select the tool Lens (icon with a circle).
  2. Click Blur and select the area that you want to leave clear (with a brush or automatically).
  3. Adjust the blur intensity with the slider Effect strength.
  4. Save the result in Export (select quality 100%to avoid artifacts).

AfterFocus is suitable for quick processing: just upload a photo, trace the object with your finger (with a green brush for the foreground, a red brush for the background) and apply the effect. The application will automatically smooth out the edges, but sometimes leaves “halos” around the hair - you can correct them with the tool Eraser.

💡

If the blur is too sharp, add a layer with a light haze ( Snapseed layer with a slight haze (Effects → Fog) - this will soften the transition between the object and the background.

3. Secret camera settings to improve the bokeh effect

Even if your phone supports portrait mode, the result may be disappointing: the background is blurred with spots, the edges of objects are “torn”, or the effect looks unnatural, which many users do not notice. hidden settings, which many users do not notice.

For example, in smartphones Samsung Galaxy (starting from S10) in Live Focus you can adjust the blur level after shooting. this:

  1. Take a photo in Live Focus.
  2. Open it in the gallery and click Edit → Change background blur.
  3. Move the slider to enlarge or reduce the effect.

On Google Pixel (series 4 and newer) there is a function Portrait lightthat simulates studio lighting. To turn it on:

Open the photo in Google Photos → Edit → Tools → Portrait Light

Owners Xiaomi i Redmi should pay attention to the setting Background blur in the camera menu. Here you can select the shape of the blur spot. (round or linear) and its intensity. Optimal values:

  • 📏 Distance to object: 1–1.5 meters.
  • 🔄 Blur intensity: 50–70% (above - the background will become “plastic”).
  • 🎯 Focus: touch the screen in the center of the object so that the camera correctly determines the depth.
Why on some phones portrait mode only works on the main one camera?

Many manufacturers (for example, Xiaomi or Oppo) limit the portrait mode to the main module, since front cameras often have low resolution or lack a depth sensor. To get around this limitation, you can use applications like Focos (if the phone saves depth data in format DNG).

4. How to blur the background on older Android phones (without mode) portrait)

If your smartphone was released before 2017 or belongs to the budget segment (for example, Samsung Galaxy J-series, Lenovo A-series), most likely it does not have a hardware portrait mode. But this does not mean that a blurred background is unattainable! Here are three working methods:

Method 1: Applications with artificial bokeh

Applications like Fabby or Blur Image Background analyze the photo and automatically separate the foreground from the background. Accuracy depends on the contrast: the more the object differs in color. color from the background, the better the result. Minus: artifacts appear on complex textures (for example, hair or fur).

Method 2: Manual mask in Photoshop Express

This application allows you to manually outline an object and apply blur only to the background. Instructions:

  1. Open the photo in Photoshop Express and select Selection.
  2. Circle the object with the tool Brush (zoom in for accuracy).
  3. Invert the selection (Invert Mask) and apply a filter Gaussian Blur.

Method 3: Close-up shooting + editing

If your camera has one Macro Mode, bring it as close to the subject as possible (5–10 cm). The background will blur naturally due to the shallow depth of field. Then, in any editor (for example, Lightroom Mobile), enhance the effect with the tool Radial Blur.

💡

On older phones, it is better to shoot an object against a monochromatic background (wall, sky) - this way the application algorithms will more accurately determine the boundaries for blur.

5. Typical mistakes and how to avoid them

A blurred background should look natural, but many users make mistakes that cause the photo to lose its realism. Here are the most common problems and their solutions:

⚠️ Attention: If you edit photos for social networks (for example, Instagram), avoid excessive blur - the platform's algorithms can further compress the image, increasing artifacts.
  • 🔴 "Plastic" background: occurs when the blur intensity is too high. Solution: reduce the effect strength to 30–50% and add light noise (Effects → Grain in Snapseed).
  • 🟢 Blurred edges of the object: the algorithm has incorrectly determined the boundaries. Solution: manually adjust the mask to AfterFocus or Photoshop Express.
  • 🔵 Unnatural glare: appear when shooting against the light. Solution: change the shooting angle or use Portrait light in Google Photos.
  • ⚪ The background is blurred with spots: typical for phones with one camera. Solution: shoot from a distance of 1.5–2 meters and use Focos for post-processing.

Another common mistake is ignoring lighting. In poor light, the camera increases ISO, which leads to noise on the blurred background. To avoid. this:

  • Shoot during the day or in a well-lit room.
  • Turn off the flash - it makes the background flat.
  • Use Pro mode in the camera and manually set ISO not higher than 400.

6. Comparison of results: camera vs applications

To understand which method gives the best result, we conducted a test: we took the same photo in portrait mode on Samsung Galaxy S22, Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 and edited it in Snapseed i AfterFocus. Here's what happened:

Method Blur quality Speed Suitable for
Portrait mode (Samsung S22) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (natural effect) Instant All types of objects
Portrait mode (Redmi Note 11) ⭐⭐⭐ (artifacts on the edges) Instant Portraits with clear borders
Snapseed (manual mask) ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (depending on accuracy) 5–10 minutes Complex textures (hair, fur)
AfterFocus (automatic segmentation) ⭐⭐⭐ (good for simple backgrounds) 2-3 minutes Fast processing

Conclusion: if your phone supports portrait mode, it is better to use it - this is the fastest and highest quality method. Applications are useful for post-processing or if your smartphone has a weak camera. For professional results, combine both methods: shoot in portrait mode, and then refine the details in Snapseed.

7. Additional features: animation, video and more

A blurred background can be made not only in static photos, but also in video or even in story Instagram. Here are a few non-obvious life hacks:

Blur the background in a video:

The application CapCut (free) allows you to add a bokeh effect to the video:

  1. Import the video into your project.
  2. Select the clip and click Effects → Blur.
  3. Adjust the blur area using a mask (tool Brush).

Animated portrait for stories:

In Instagram and TikTok stories with a blurred background and highlighting of the object are popular. You can make them through:

  • InShot: tool Background → Blur +. animation Zoom.
  • VSCO: filter HB2 + manual exposure correction.

Blur the background in Zoom or Google Meet:

If you need to blur the background during a video call:

  • In Zoom: Settings → Background and filters → Blur.
  • In Google Meet: before the call starts click Effects → Background blur.
💡

For Live Photos on Android, use Motion Stills from Google - it stabilizes the video and allows you to add blur to a moving object.

⚠️ Attention: Background blur functions in video applications (Zoom, Meet) can heavily load the processor. If the phone starts to heat up, close unnecessary apps or connect the charger.

FAQ: Answers to frequently asked questions

Is it possible to blur the background in a photo taken on an old phone without a mode? portrait?

Yes, applications like AfterFocus or Fabbyare suitable for this. They analyze the photo and automatically separate the object from the background. For better results, choose contrasting photographs (for example, a person on a plain wall. If automatic segmentation does not work well, use a manual brush in Photoshop Express.

Why do white halos appear around the object after blurring the background in Snapseed?

This is a typical problem with aggressive blur. To avoid it:

  1. Reduce the intensity of the effect to 40-50%.
  2. Manually adjust the mask, smoothing the edges tool Feather.
  3. Add light noise (Effects → Grain) to mask artifacts.
How to make a blurred background on a selfie (front camera)?

Many phones (for example, Google Pixel or Samsung Galaxy S23) support portrait mode on the front camera. If your model does not do this:

  • Use Focos (if the phone saves depth data in RAW).
  • Take selfies from a close distance (20–30 cm) - the background will blur naturally.
  • Apply Snapseed apply Radial blurby placing the center on your face.
What camera settings affect the quality of background blur?

Key parameters:

  • Aperture (if there is a manual mode): the lower the value (for example, f/1.8), the stronger the blur.
  • Focal length: use 2x zoom (if you have a telephoto lens) - this will enhance the bokeh effect.
  • Distance to object: optimally 1–1.5 meters.
  • Lighting: avoid contrasting light (for example, the sun in the frame).
Is it possible to return the original photo after blurring the background?

If you edited a photo in the application and saved the changes, the original may be lost. To avoid this:

  • Always duplicate the original photo before editing.
  • B Google Photos originals are stored in the cloud (if synchronization is enabled).
  • Some applications (for example, Snapseed) allow you to cancel all edits within 30 days.