Unable to adjust portrait blur in images captured on your Google Pixel? Try this potential workaround

If you own a Google Pixel device and love taking portrait photos, you might have noticed a frustrating issue lately. Some Pixel users have reported that they are no longer able to adjust the portrait blur effect after capturing the image in portrait mode. This feature was previously available in the Google Photos app, where you could edit the image and use the Portrait blur tool to fine-tune the amount of background blur or even remove it completely.

However, after updating to Android 14 and the latest version of the Pixel Camera app, this tool seems to be broken. Instead of letting you adjust the blur from the original image data before processing, it artificially tries reducing or adding blur on the processed image itself.

This issue has been reported by several Pixel users on various forums and social media platforms, and it seems to affect all Pixel models running Android 14 and recent builds of the Pixel Camera app. I also tested this on my Pixel 7a and ran into the same problem.

Some users have speculated that this might be due to a change in how the Pixel Camera app processes portrait photos, or a bug in the Google Photos app that fails to recognize the depth data in the image file.

Fortunately, there is a simple workaround that can restore the portrait blur adjustment feature on your Pixel device. All you have to do is disable the Ultra HDR option in the Pixel Camera app settings. Ultra HDR is a new feature introduced in Android 14 that enhances the dynamic range and detail of your photos, especially in low-light situations. However, it seems that this feature also interferes with the portrait blur effect, and prevents the Google Photos app from accessing the depth data in the image file. The tip was shared by u/L1peh on Reddit.

To disable Ultra HDR, follow these steps:

• Open the Pixel Camera app on your device.
• Tap on the gear icon in the bottom left corner to access the settings menu.
• Tap on More settings and select Advanced.
• Scroll down and find the Ultra HDR option under the Advanced section.
• Tap on the toggle switch to turn it off.

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Once you have done this, you can go back to the Pixel Camera app and take a portrait photo as usual. Then, open the Google Photos app and select the image you just captured. Tap on the Edit button at the bottom, and then tap on the Tools option. You should see the Portrait blur tool among the other editing options. Tap on it and use the slider to adjust the amount of blur as you like. Moreover, you’ll be able to remove the blur effect completely too.

I have tested this workaround on my Pixel 7a device running Android 14, and it worked as expected. I was able to adjust the portrait blur effect on photos that were captured without Ultra HDR as expected. That said, I hope that Google finds a way to let users adjust portrait blur even with Ultra HDR images in a future update.