I just discovered this hidden iPhone feature that blurs faces instantly — it's a total game-changer

How To
By published

Apple buried this face-blurring feature somewhere you wouldn't expect

Hidden iPhone tips iPhone 16 Pro Max
(Image credit: Tom's Guide)
Hidden iPhone tips

Hidden iPhone tips

(Image credit: Future)

Hi, I'm Kaycee. Welcome to Hidden iPhone Tips, a weekly column where I dig into the best iOS features Apple doesn't tell you about.

I just discovered an iPhone feature that makes blurring faces in photos incredibly easy, and I can't believe it's been hiding in plain sight. The feature is buried inside Clean Up— Apple's tool for removing unwanted objects from photos — which explains why I never found it until now.

1. Open the photo

Open the Photos app and select the image containing faces you want to blur. Then tap Edit.

2. Access the Clean Up tool

Look for the Clean Up option in the toolbar at the bottom of the screen. This is where Apple buried the face-blurring feature. Tap Clean Up.

3. Brush over the face you want to blur

Use your finger to brush over any face you want to blur. You don't need to be precise, just roughly circle or swipe over the face. The iPhone automatically recognizes the face and applies blur.

4. Save when sufficiently blurred

You'll see a message appear on screen reading "Identity protection applied" to confirm the blur has been added.

Repeat this process for any additional faces in the photo you want to blur. You can blur multiple faces in a single image. Tap Done when you've finished.

5. Undoing the blur

If you want to undo the blur later on your own device, open the photo, tap Edit, and revert the changes.

However, if you've already shared the photo with someone else they cannot undo the blur from their device — the protection is permanent for recipients.

Why this feature is so useful

It speaks for itself, but this identity protection feature is extremely useful. It's particularly valuable for parents posting photos of their children online, event photographers who need to protect attendee privacy, or anyone sharing images on social media where not everyone pictured has consented to being identified.

Once you blur a face and share the photo, the recipient cannot undo it. The privacy protection is permanent for anyone you send the image to. Having this capability built directly into Photos means you don't need third-party apps, subscriptions, or editing software. It's free, instant, and extremely convenient.

Google

(Image credit: Future)

Follow Tom's Guide on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button!

More from Tom's Guide

TOPICS
Kaycee Hill
Kaycee Hill
How-to Editor

Kaycee is Tom's Guide's How-To Editor, known for tutorials that get straight to what works. She writes across phones, homes, TVs and everything in between — because life doesn't stick to categories and neither should good advice. She's spent years in content creation doing one thing really well: making complicated things click. Kaycee is also an award-winning poet and co-editor at Fox and Star Books.

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.