4 Best Ways to blur Background in Lightroom (Android, iOS, PC)

Q: Is there any lens used to blur the Background in the Lightroom?

There are only three tools to blur the Background, including Brush Tool, Linear Gradient, and Radial Gradient. There is no need to use any lens for blurring backgrounds.

Q: Why should you use the Linear Gradient to blur the Background in Lightroom?

Linear Gradient allows you to create a straight-line blur effect across your image by dragging the specific area that you want to blur.

Suppose you are watching a landscape photo beautifully edited in Lightroom with the enhancement of color, contrast, and clarity of the subject.

Everything is perfect, but the people in the image walking around the subject are unfit. What would the effect of the image be now?

Of course, the cluttered Background will distract your attention from the main subject.

The image containing a lot of elements will reduce its impact on you, and you will miss creativity.

Therefore, among 58% of Lightroom users, all of them use the blur background feature.

The different tools help them to enhance the beauty of their images, increase the impact of the main subject, and express their artistic vision.

If you have no idea how to blur the Background, the guide below is for you.

Why is there a need to Blur Background in Lightroom?

The need for a blurring background is an important factor for photographers and image enthusiasts.

For instance, If you have a look at a red rose (the main subject) without a blurred background, your attention will be distracted due to various elements.

However, the beauty of the object will be enhanced by editing the color, contrast, shadows, highlights, and other factors.

The busy garden with various plants will distract the rose from the focus, and being a viewer, you will lose your interest.

Then your mind will think of the basic reasons to blur the Background while editing given below;

The eye of a viewer should be directed towards the main subject.
Blurring Background is a source of adding a polished and professional aesthetic to your images.
Depending on the level and technique of the blur, you can influence the mood and emotion of the image. A subtle blur can create a dreamy or ethereal feel, while a more dramatic blur can add a sense of isolation or mystery.
To control the focus of the image, photographers use blurring the image technique and guide viewer in a specific way.
You can use the blurred Effect according to your preferences. A subtle blur in your image will be barely noticeable. However, a strong blur can completely obscure the Background.

Benefits of Blurring Background — **Benefits of a Blur Background**

Steps to Blur Background in Adobe Lightroom Android

Below are the simple steps to help you in blurring the Background while using Adobe Lightroom on Android.

Open the Lightroom app and import your desired image. You may also capture the desired image.
Select the Masking Tool from the right panel > Hit the “+ icon” > explore three options, including Brush, Linear Gradient, and Radial Gradient.
Select any of the three tools to blur the Background.
Customize the properties of the subject that are to be blurred, like clarity, color brightness, and intensity, and select the area to blur around the subject.
On the upper right section, tap the “Save” option.

Effective Steps to get a blurred Background in Lightroom iOS

There are no steps different from Android to blur the Background in Lightroom iOS.

Open the Lightroom App on your iOS.
Capture the image in the app or import your desired image.
Select the Masking Tool > Hit the “+” icon > explore three different options
You can select any tool, such as the Brush Tool, Linear Gradient, or Radial Gradient.
Customize the properties of the subject according to your requirements, such as intensity, clarity, brightness, and others.
After making the necessary adjustments, click the “save” button in the upper right corner.
Share the image directly to your phone’s gallery.

Simplest Ways to Blur Background in Lightroom Mac 2025

Open your Lightroom App on your Macbook.
Open Lightroom and import the photos you want to have the background blurred.
To add a mask to the photograph in the upper right corner, choose the Masking Tool.
Hit the Subject option, select the subject, and you will see where blurring needs as it automatically detects the subject.
Use the cursor to the left or right to adjust the properties of the subject, like dehaze, clarity, texture, color, brightness, and others.
Save the image once the properties are adjusted according to your needs.

How to obscure Background in Lightroom PC with 2 steps?

There are two simple and basic steps that you have to use while blurring the Background on a PC.

Step 1 – Import your Desired Image

Open the Lightroom app to import your desired image.
Move the pointer to the upper right corner, click the Library option, and then upload the required photo.
Hit the Develop Button located aside from the Library button after uploading the image

Step 2 – Access three Tools

Tap on the Lightroom Toolbar > Select the Masking Tool > Access three different Tools to add a blurred background of images. You will access three tools given below;

Linear Gradient
Brush Tool
Radial Gradient

Lightroom offers ultimate advanced tools to make a Lightroom Collage helping individuals to collect memories.

Use the Linear Gradient Tool in Lightroom

→ Explore the Linear Gradient tool located in the top right corner of Lightroom.

→ Navigate your cursor to drag a proper line around the subject by selecting the tool.

→ Lightroom will automatically detect the part that needs to be blurred.

→ Customize the properties like intensity, feather, and size after detecting the selected area of the subject. Change the values of Sharpness and Clarity to the negative values ( -10, -50, -100).

Tools to blur background — **Tools** for a Dim Background

Steps to utilize the Brush Tool

Explore the Brush Tool in the toolbar section of the app.
Customize the density and size of the brush according to your preferences.
Use the Brush Tool to select the area of the image whose Background is to be blurred.
Visit Effect> Clarity > Sharpness.
Apply the Brush Tool to the image background and save the image.
Adjust the settings to gain the blurriness level according to your preferences.

Note: Explore the key features of Lightroom and Capture One and choose the best between them.

Use the Radial Gradient Tool

Among all the tools, Radial Gradient is the best one to blur the Background in Lightroom, especially the center-framed subject. Tap on the Radial Gradient icon after selecting it.

Create a circle on the subject of the image and ensure the circle maintains the focus of the subject area.
Customize the properties according to your requirements, like size, feather, and density.
Modify the circle’s shape and feathering.
Reduce the clarity and sharpness to the negative value (-10,-50,-100) by navigating to the “Effect Panel.”
Customize the intensity and density of the image according to your preferences.
Gain the blurriness level by adjusting it as you desire.

Important Note!

If you want to cover the entire Background, you have to create multiple Radial Gradient circles.
If the image is not centered, drag the center pin to fix it

Apply Blur Background in Future by Saving the Settings

You may preserve the settings after utilizing any of the aforementioned techniques to blur the background.

Move the pointer to the upper right corner of the “Presets Module” located on the left side of Lightroom.

It will save the settings for Linear Gradient, Brush Tool, and Radial Gradient created to the new preset. Now, you can use the settings in future without retracing all the essential steps.

If you are a beginner and don’t know about how to use the Lightroom Export Settings to save the image, read a complete guide. Besides, you can also watch a tutorial to get more ease in this task.

Important Tips to Blur the Background – Don’t Miss out!

Choose the right Image before editing.
Select the right Size of Tools like Brush before using them.
Adjust the properties to your required preference, like Clarity, Sharpness, Feather, Size, Brightness, Intensity, Density, and Colors.
The feather size controls the softness of the brush edges. Use a low feather context, for instance, to achieve an organic transition between parts that are blurred and those that are not.
The brush’s opacity is determined by the density parameter. To gain a natural look among the blurred and the unblurred regions, you should maintain a low-density setting.
Novices can use the “Auto Mask” feature to mask the image automatically around the subject.
Presets are a useful tool for blurring the background of bulk photographs. One preset can be used repeatedly over different pictures according to your requirements.

Read Also – How to Fix Blurry Photos in Lightroom?

Significant FAQs to Darken Background in Lightroom

You should experiment with all three tools and check which tool gives you the best outcomes while blurring the Background.

There are only three tools that you can use for this purpose, including Brush Tool, Linear Gradient, and Radial Gradient. There is no need to use any lens for blurring backgrounds.

You can remove the changes, undo the settings, and then again make it according to your needs and preferences.

The Brush Tool offers precise control to provide the blur effect on the image. However, it would help if you used the feather and sliders to fine-tune the strength of the impact.

Linear Gradient allows you to create a straight-line blur effect across your image by dragging the specific area that you want to blur.

Final Thoughts

To get a blur background has a great impact on enhancing the aesthetic of your images. You can easily create the Lightroom blur effects, but to gain an ideal approach, use the fine-tuned shooting parameters.

Individuals who want to elevate their photography skills to new heights should experiment with all methods. Find which one gives the desired outcomes, and enjoy making visually stunning images.

How to Blur Background in Lightroom (Basic Steps & Advanced Tools)

Why is there a need to Blur Background in Lightroom?

Steps to Blur Background in Adobe Lightroom Android

Effective Steps to get a blurred Background in Lightroom iOS

Simplest Ways to Blur Background in Lightroom Mac 2025