Google is slated to include a suite of clever photo editing tools with their new Pixels. Last year the company introduced Magic Eraser on the Pixel 6 series, which seamlessly removes unwanted objects from the background — and this time, with the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro we are getting a new Photo Unblur feature.
Photo Unblur is a feature exclusive to the Pixel 7 series that improves blurry photos and reduces visual noise. The best part is that it works not just on images taken on the Pixel 7 devices, but on any old blurry photos. It can apparently fix blurriness caused by motion blur, camera shake or even a misfocus blur.
We will post results on how the feature turned out for some of our old photos soon, but until then, since it seems to buried in menus — here’s how to access Photo Unblur on your Pixel 7 or Pixel 7 Pro.
- Open the Google Photos app on your Pixel 7 or Pixel 7 Pro
- Choose a blurry image that needs to be fixed
- Under the image, tap on “Photo Unblur” that should show up in Suggestions
- In case it doesn’t show up in Suggestions, tap on “Tools” and access it from there
The image does have to be pretty blurry for the option to show up in the suggested edits section.
This is not the first time Google has tried to give us tools to unblur our photos — the Pixel 6 came with a Face Unblur feature where a user's face would be slightly unblurred even if the rest of the picture had motion blur. It did not apply to older photos though.
Photo Unblur could be a game changer if it works as advertised. In Google’s tweet below, the Photo Unblur looks even more impressive than it did on the examples the company showcased at its Made by Google launch event.
Unblur photos—even ones not taken on #Pixel 🤯With just a few taps, #Pixel7 and Pixel 7 Pro bring new life to your memories with #PhotoUnblur, a new @GooglePhotos feature only on Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro¹ 📸#MadeByGoogle¹See video for info pic.twitter.com/vxHgsYMsT4October 6, 2022
It's worth noting that Google does add a small caveat on that example that says "It may not work on all image elements".
Like many of the Pixel 7 features, Photo Unblur is powered by the Tensor G2 chip. At its recent event, the tech giant announced new camera modes: Motion mode for smoother and more stable action videos; Cinematic Blur that adds a shallow depth of field effect to your videos, much like Apple’s Cinematic Mode; and the new Macro Focus mode that is exclusive to the Pixel 7 Pro.
We will test out the camera capabilities on the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro very soon. Until then, you can check out our Pixel 7 vs Pixel 7 Pro and Pixel 7 vs Pixel 6 comparisons to see what's new with Google's latest phones.
