Blurry, blurry or specially hidden areas in photographs are a common problem faced by smartphone users. Perhaps you received a censored photo, accidentally blurred part of the image while editing, or there was an unwanted object in the photo that someone tried to hide. Unlike computers, where there are powerful apps like Photoshop or GIMPto restore such images, on Android the task is complicated by limited resources. However remove the smeared part of the online directly from your phone it is quite possible - and for this you do not have to install heavy applications.

In this article we will look at 5 proven methodsincluding free online services, mobile applications with a recovery function and even neural networks that can “complete the drawing” missing fragments. We will pay special attention the nuances of working on Android: how to avoid loss of quality, what formats are supported, and why some methods may not work on older devices. You will also find out in what cases recovery is impossible —and what to do instead.

Spoiler: the most effective method depends on type of putty. If it's just blurry or pixelated, the chances of success are high. But if part of the photo is painted over with a single color or completely removed, more complex tools will be required - or a creative approach.

📊 What do you most often try to remove from a photo?
Faces/people
Text/watercolor signs
Unnecessary objects
Scratches/damage
Other

1. Online services for restoring smeared photos

If you are looking for quick solution without installing applicationsonline services are the best choice. They work directly in the browser, support most formats (.jpg, .png, .webp) and are often free for basic functionality. The main advantage: you don’t need to register or pay for a subscription.

We tested 10 popular services and selected the three most reliable ones. All of them are optimized for mobile devices, so the interface will not “crawl” on the smartphone screen.

  • 🔍 Inpaint Online (inpaint.online) - specializes in removing objects and restoring backgrounds. Suitable for medium-sized greasy areas. The free version allows you to process up to 5 photos per day.
  • 🖌️ Fotor (fotor.com) - has a tool Healing Brush (healing brush), which copes well with pixelation. There is a Russian version.
  • 🤖 Cleanup.pictures (cleanup.pictures) - uses AI for automatic recovery. It is ideal if the smeared area blends into the background (for example, the sky or grass). tasks).

How to use (for example Inpaint Online):

  1. Open the service in a browser Chrome or Firefox (they are better optimized for such tasks).
  2. Upload a photo from your phone (button Upload Image).
  3. Select the smeared area with the tool Marker (brush) or Lasso (lasso).
  4. Click Erase and wait for processing (usually 10-30 seconds).
  5. Download the result using the button Download.
⚠️ Attention: Online services can save downloaded photos on their servers. If the image contains confidential information, use applications for offline editing (about them in the next section).

Make sure that the photo is in JPG/PNG format

Crop excess edges (if necessary)

Check the resolution (optimal 1000–3000px on the long side)

Make a copy of the original in case of an error

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2. Mobile applications for Android with a recovery function

If online services fail or you prefer to work offline, install one of the specialized applications They are more common. are updated, support more tools and do not depend on Internet speed. Minus: some functions may be paid.

The table below compares the top 3 applications by key parameters:

Application Free functions AI support Size (MB) Play Market rating
Adobe Photoshop Express Healing brush, cloning ❌ (only in the full version) 89 4.3
TouchRetouch Deletion objects, texture restoration ✅ (basic AI) 22 4.6
Snapseed Local corrections, Healing tool ❌ 28 4.5

Step-by-step guide for TouchRetouch (the easiest option for beginners):

  1. Install the application from Play Market.
  2. Open the photo in the gallery and select Edit in → TouchRetouch.
  3. Click on the icon Brush (brush) and circle the blurred area.
  4. Select Go —the application will automatically restore the background.
  5. Save the result to the gallery.

Important: applications like TouchRetouch work better with uniform backgrounds (sky, wall, grass, if the area is blurred). is located on a complex texture (for example, a person’s face or a pattern on clothing), the result may look unnatural.

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Before processing, increase the contrast of the photo in any editor (for example, in Google PhotosThis will help the algorithm more accurately determine the boundaries of the blurred area.

3. Neural networks for “finishing” the missing parts

If the blurred area is too large or the services cannot cope, neural networksthey analyze the surrounding pixels and generate a realistic continuation of the image. This method is suitable even for complex textures, but it takes more time and sometimes gives unexpected results.

Best free neural networks for Android:

  • 🧠 Fotor AI Image Generator — built into the web version Fotor. Can fill in the missing parts according to the description (for example, “blue sky with clouds”).
  • 🎨 Deep Image (deep-image.ai) - specializes in restoring faces and landscapes. There is a mobile version.
  • 🤖 DALL·E Mini (via Telegram bot @dallemini_bot) - suitable for creative tasks when you need to completely replace a smeared area.

Example of work with Deep Image:

  1. Upload a photo to the website or to application.
  2. Select the smeared area with the tool Select.
  3. Select an option AI Inpainting.
  4. Wait for processing (may take up to 1-2 minutes).
  5. If the result is not satisfactory, try changing the parameter Strength (strength restoration).
⚠️ Attention: Neural networks can distort real details. For example, if there was a face in the photo, AI can generate another face with different features. For official documents or forensic evidence, this method is unacceptable.
How to check that the photo is not correct. was edited by a neural network?

Many neural networks leave artifacts - repeating patterns, unrealistic shadows or blurred edges. You can check the authenticity using services like FotoForensics or Izitruthat analyze metadata and pixel distortions.

4. Manual editing: cloning and replacing textures

If automatic methods do not work, try manual editing. This method takes more time, but allows you to control every pixel. Suitable for photos where the blurred area can be replaced with a fragment from another part of the image.

Required tools:

  • 📱 Application: PicsArt, Photoshop Express or Lightroom Mobile.
  • 🎯 Tools: Cloning stamp (Clone Stamp), Healing brush (Healing Brush), Selection.

Action algorithm (for example PicsArt):

  1. Open the photo in the application and select the tool Clone (icon with two circles).
  2. Place the cursor on the area you want to copy (for example, a clean background next to the blurred area).
  3. Move the cursor to the blurred fragment and “paint over” it.
  4. If necessary. adjust Transparency and Brush hardness for smooth transitions.
  5. Repeat the process for all defects.

Advice for complex textures: if an area with a pattern (for example, wallpaper or fabric) is blurred, try to find a similar fragment in another photo and paste it as a new layer with reduced transparency.

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Manual cloning gives the most natural result, but requires patience. Start with small areas and zoom in to see details.

5. Alternative methods: when restoration is impossible

Unfortunately, not all smeared areas can be restored. If in the photo:

  • 🖼️ More than 50% of the area is blurred more than 50% of the area;
  • 🎭 Removed key details (for example, a person’s face or car license plate);
  • 🔳 Used aggressive pixelation (when the pixels are large and monochromatic),

so no algorithm can recreate the original. In such cases, consider alternatives:

What to do instead of recovery:

  • 📸 Find the original: check messenger archives (WhatsApp, Telegram), cloud storage (Google Photo, Yandex Disk) or social networks.
  • 🔄 Ask to resend: if the photo was sent to you, the sender may keep the unchanged version.
  • 🎨 Make a collage: if it is impossible to restore, cover the defect with a creative element (sticker, text block or another photo).
⚠️ Attention: If the photo has legal force (for example, a screenshot of correspondence for the court), any editing can be regarded as a fake. In such cases, it is better to obtain an official copy of the document through a notary or a request to the organization.

6. Common mistakes and how to avoid them

Even experienced users make mistakes when restoring photos. Here TOP-5 missesthat spoil the result:

  • 🔍 The scale is too large: with an increase of more than 2–3 times, artifacts appear. Work with the original resolution.
  • 🎨 Wrong tool: for smooth surfaces (sky, water) use Healing, for textures (grass, brick) - Cloning.
  • 📱 Low quality of the source: if the photo is already compressed (for example, from WhatsApp), recovery will be worse. Try to find the original.
  • 🔄 Multiple saving: every time you save to JPEG the quality is lost. Use PNG for intermediate results.
  • ⏳ Impatience: neural networks and complex algorithms can process photos for up to 5 minutes - do not interrupt the process.

How to check the quality restoration:

  1. Open the result in full screen.
  2. Compare with the original by switching between browser tabs or layers in the editor.
  3. Look at the borders of the blurred area - artifacts are most often visible there.
  4. If the photo is intended for printing, enlarge it up to 100% and check for blur.
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Before starting work, create a copy of the photo in the cloud (for example, in Google Drive). This way you can roll back to the original if something goes wrong.

Is it possible to restore a photo if the blurred part was deleted in Photoshop?

If the area is not just blurred, and completely erased (for example, with a tool Content-Aware Fill), it is impossible to restore it. In this case, the original pixels are irretrievably lost. The only way out is to find a backup copy of the photo or ask the sender for the source.

Why do strange patterns appear on the photo after restoration?

These are compression artifacts or algorithm errors. Most often they occur if:

  • The original photo was in a format JPEG with a high degree of compression;
  • The blurred area was on a complex texture (for example, animal fur or foliage);
  • You used a neural network with low settings quality.

Try repeating the processing with other parameters or in another service.

Which application is better for restoring faces in photos?

For faces we recommend:

  • Remini — specializes in improving quality and restoring features;
  • Fotor —has a tool AI Portrait Retouch;
  • FaceApp —can complete missing parts (for example, closed eyes).
Important: When working with faces, avoid excessive smoothing - this makes the photo unnatural.

Is it possible to restore smeared text on photo?

Text is extremely difficult to restore, especially if it was painted over with a single color. However, you can try:

  1. Increase the contrast in the editor (tool Levels or Curves).
  2. Use text recognition services (Google Lens, ABBYY FineReader) - sometimes they “guess” characters.
  3. If the text is printed, find a similar font and manually apply it on top.

Chances of success: ~20–30% depending on the degree of putty.

Is it safe to upload photos to online services?

Most services from our list (Inpaint Online, Fotor) delete uploaded photos from servers after 1–24 hours. However:

  • Do not upload photos with personal data (passports, tickets, medical documents).
  • Before uploading, trim off unnecessary details (for example, geotags or tags time).
  • Use VPNif you are working on a public Wi-Fi network.

For complete confidentiality, use offline applications (TouchRetouch, Snapseed).