Can Picstea select the person automatically?

Not yet — there is no AI subject selection. Select the subject by hand with the lasso, polygonal lasso or magic wand; Color Range helps when the background is one colour.

Which blur looks most like a real camera?

Lens Blur: it imitates an out-of-focus lens and can make bright spots glow like bokeh. Gaussian Blur is smoother and more even.

Can I change the blur later?

Yes, if you blur a copy: press Cmd/Ctrl+J to duplicate the layer first, blur the copy, then hide or delete it to go back. Every filter is also one undo step.

Is my photo uploaded?

No. The blur is calculated in your browser. Picstea has no server that receives images.

How to blur a photo background online

To blur a photo background in Picstea, select the subject, choose Select → Inverse so the background is selected, then apply Filter → Blur → Lens Blur. It works in your browser, it's free, and your photo is never uploaded.

Open the editor — free, no sign-up

Blur the background in five steps

Open the editor and drop your photo on the page.
Select the subject: trace it with the Lasso or Polygonal Lasso, or click the background with the Magic Wand and use Select → Inverse to swap.
Choose Select → Feather… with a few pixels, so the edge between sharp and blurred is soft.
With the background selected, choose Filter → Blur → Lens Blur… and raise the Radius while watching the photo. Specular brightness makes highlights glow like bokeh.
Press OK, deselect, and export with File → Export As….

Without a selection: Blur Gallery

For a quick depth-of-field look, Filter → Blur Gallery keeps part of the photo sharp without selecting anything:

Tilt-Shift keeps a horizontal band sharp and blurs above and below — the "miniature" look for landscapes and streets.
Iris Blur keeps an oval sharp around the subject and blurs the rest — good for portraits.
Field Blur blurs the whole picture evenly.

Where Photoshop uses pins on the canvas, Picstea sets the centre and size with sliders.

Tips

Hair and fuzzy edges are the hardest part. Feather a little more, and zoom in to check the edge before you blur.
To keep the original, duplicate the layer (Cmd/Ctrl+J) and blur the copy.
More about selecting: selections guide. Every blur is in the filters guide.

Limitations

There is no automatic subject or portrait-mode detection yet, and no depth map: the blur is the same strength everywhere it applies, rather than growing with distance.

How-to guides

Related tools

Questions

Can Picstea select the person automatically?: Not yet — there is no AI subject selection. Select the subject by hand with the lasso, polygonal lasso or magic wand; Color Range helps when the background is one colour.
Which blur looks most like a real camera?: Lens Blur: it imitates an out-of-focus lens and can make bright spots glow like bokeh. Gaussian Blur is smoother and more even.
Can I change the blur later?: Yes, if you blur a copy: press Cmd/Ctrl+J to duplicate the layer first, blur the copy, then hide or delete it to go back. Every filter is also one undo step.
Is my photo uploaded?: No. The blur is calculated in your browser. Picstea has no server that receives images.