Fitted to a window, the stage shows a fraction of the pixels, and noise is averaged away by the scaling. Press Z for 1:1 and drag the seam across a dark, flat area — that is where noise shows and where smoothing should be judged.

Noise or detail — what is the trade?

The same blur that evens out grain also softens fine texture: hair, fabric, foliage. The blend backs off at strong edges, but not at fine texture. Use the lowest value that cleans the flat areas, and add a little Sharpen if edges go soft.

Does it work on night photos?

On brightness grain, it helps. Coloured speckle in very dark areas is reduced less, and a shadow that was opened a long way will always show more noise than one left dark.

Every fix is made on this device.

Reduce noise in a photo

Opens in Detail with smoothing at 30 everywhere. Check at 1:1 with Z — noise hides at fitted size.

Drop a photo in. Tap the spot you want gone.Click to browse. A copied picture pastes straight in. Nothing is sent.Spot · Heal stroke · Edge dab · Lift · Red-eye · Level — 6 marks, then it stops

Nothing to hand?

A drawing, not a photograph. Drag the seam: a speck of sensor dust in the sky, something dark pressed against the top border, the lower left corner sitting in shade — one tap each, and the one at the border only shows with the seam pushed right.

What is wrong with it?

Optional — the uploader works without it. It takes about five seconds and can save you a tap you would have undone.

Smoothing everywhere, kept off the edges

This page sets Detail → Smooth to 30 with Where to smooth on Everywhere. The blur is edge-preserving: where neighbouring pixels differ a lot — an outline, a horizon, a lettered sign — it blends in less. The strength runs from 0 to 100.

Related: Sharpen a photo to put edge contrast back; Brighten a photo — and remember that opening shadows a long way raises noise.

Questions about noise

Why check at 100 %?: Fitted to a window, the stage shows a fraction of the pixels, and noise is averaged away by the scaling. Press Z for 1:1 and drag the seam across a dark, flat area — that is where noise shows and where smoothing should be judged.
Noise or detail — what is the trade?: The same blur that evens out grain also softens fine texture: hair, fabric, foliage. The blend backs off at strong edges, but not at fine texture. Use the lowest value that cleans the flat areas, and add a little Sharpen if edges go soft.
Does it work on night photos?: On brightness grain, it helps. Coloured speckle in very dark areas is reduced less, and a shadow that was opened a long way will always show more noise than one left dark.

Reduce Noise