Your files never leave your device. All processing happens in your browser.
Open Img Stop Restore Old Photos and add a scan or photo of an old print. Choose what to fix – AI face restoration, noise and blur clean-up, scratch and dust removal, 2× size, optional colour – check the quick preview, then click Restore photos. The AI runs on your device; compare before and after with the slider and download.
About the Restore Old Photos (AI Face Restore)
Old prints fade, get scratched and lose detail, and small faces in group photos often turn into soft blurs. Img Stop Restore Old Photos combines several repairs in one click: it finds every face and rebuilds it with GFPGAN, cleans grain and compression blocks from the whole picture with Real-ESRGAN, fills in thin scratches and dust specks, and can colorize the result.
Each face is lined up to a standard position using five landmarks (eyes, nose and mouth corners), restored at 512 × 512 px and blended back with soft edges, so it sits naturally in the photo. Black and white and sepia pictures keep their original tone. All of the AI runs in your browser after a one-time download – nothing is uploaded.
Key features
- AI face restorationGFPGAN v1.4 rebuilds eyes, skin and hair on blurry or damaged faces; a strength slider controls how much.
- Noise and blur clean-upReal-ESRGAN removes film grain and JPEG blocks and sharpens the whole picture (Gentle or Strong).
- Scratch and dust removalFinds thin bright or dark scratches, cracks and specks and fills them from the surrounding picture.
- See what will be removedA red overlay in the preview shows the detected scratches before you restore.
- 2× enlargement and colourDouble the size for printing and optionally colorize with the DDColor AI in the same pass.
- Before / after and batchCompare with a slider, restore several photos in a row and download them as a ZIP.
How to use the Restore Old Photos (AI Face Restore)
- Add your old photos Scan the print (or take a flat, well-lit photo of it) and drop the JPG, PNG or WebP files.
- Choose the repairs Faces, clean-up strength, scratch removal, size and colour – the preview updates as you go.
- Restore Click Restore photos. The first time, the AI downloads once and is saved in your browser.
- Compare and download Drag the before / after slider, then download each photo or all as a ZIP.
Restore Old Photos (AI Face Restore) at a glance
| Price | Free, no watermark, no sign up |
|---|---|
| Face AI | GFPGAN v1.4, 340 MB (downloads once) |
| Clean-up AI | Real-ESRGAN general x4v3, 5 MB |
| Repairs | Faces, grain, JPEG blocks, scratches, dust, 2× size, colour |
| Formats | JPG, PNG, WebP |
| Processing | On your device – photos are not uploaded |
When to use it
- Sharpen faces in scanned family portraits, school class photos and wedding pictures.
- Clean scratches, dust and cracks from prints that were kept in albums, frames or shoeboxes.
- Rescue low-quality copies of old photos received on WhatsApp or downloaded from social media.
- Prepare enlarged, cleaner prints for anniversaries, funerals and family reunions.
- Restore and colorize ancestors’ pictures for a family tree or a genealogy website.
Tips for the best result
- Scan at 600 dpi if you can; faces need at least about 10 px between the eyes to be found and restored.
- Use face strength around 60–80 % to keep the person recognisable while removing blur.
- Turn on “Show what will be removed” – if real details like lace or jewellery turn red, use Gentle or Off.
- Choose Strong clean-up for very grainy prints and Gentle for photos that are only a little soft.
- Restoring faces is heavy work: on phones, close other apps and restore one photo at a time.
Frequently asked questions
How do I restore an old photo for free?
Add the scan to Img Stop Restore Old Photos, keep the default settings (AI faces, gentle clean-up, gentle scratch removal) and click Restore photos. After the one-time AI download the photo is repaired on your device and you can download it without a watermark.
Will the restored faces still look like the same people?
The AI keeps the shape and features it can see and fills in lost detail such as eyelashes and skin texture. On very small or badly damaged faces it has to guess more, so lower the face restore strength if a face looks too different.
Why does the first restore take so long?
The face restoration AI is about 340 MB and downloads once; after that it is loaded from your browser. Each face then takes a few seconds to half a minute depending on your device.
Can it remove all scratches and tears?
It reliably removes thin scratches, hairline cracks and dust specks. Large tears, missing corners or stains need Remove Object (AI) or the clone stamp afterwards.
Does it keep black and white photos black and white?
Yes. Restored faces take only the brightness from the AI, so black and white and sepia photos keep their original tone. Choose “Colorize with AI” if you want colour.
Are my photos uploaded?
No. All AI models run in your browser on your own device; your photos are never sent to a server.
Learn more
- Image segmentation – how AI separates objects in a photo
Made and maintained by the Img Stop team.