How to Restore an Old, Damaged Photo with AI

To restore an old photo, scan or photograph the print, then open Old Photo Restoration, add the image, and choose a mode: Restore to repair damage while staying true to the original, Restore Pro for a full restore with detail enhancement and upscaling, or Restore Beta for deep reconstruction including colour for black-and-white photos. The AI repairs scratches, creases, tears, dust and stains, removes grain, and corrects faded colour and contrast — while keeping faces and the composition intact.

Step 1: Digitise the print properly

The restoration can only work with what it receives, so the scan matters:

• Use a flatbed scanner if you can, at 600 dpi for small prints (wallet and 6×4 size) and 300 dpi for larger ones. Scan in colour even for black-and-white photos — it captures the tones better.
• No scanner? Photograph the print with your phone in soft daylight, with the phone parallel to the photo to avoid distortion. Turn off the flash — it causes glare on glossy prints.
• Photos behind glass: take them out of the frame if possible; reflections ruin the copy.
• Clean gently: blow off dust; don't wipe old prints with anything wet.
• Crop to the photo with the Image Cropper, removing the scanner bed or the table around it.

Step 2: Restore it

1. Open Old Photo Restoration and add the scan.
2. Choose a mode:
   • Restore — repairs damage and cleans up, staying close to the original. The best first try.
   • Restore Pro — full restoration plus detail enhancement, colour recovery and upscaling, for the clearest result.
   • Restore Beta — experimental deep reconstruction, including colourisation for black-and-white photos.
3. Compare before and after, and download the restored photo.

The free plan includes 2 restorations a day, without an account. The photo is processed by an AI model (Google Gemini) through iPixHub's server, which doesn't keep a copy.

What restoration can fix

• Scratches, creases and cracks across the image.
• Dust, spots and stains, including water marks.
• Small tears and missing corners (large missing areas are reconstructed, which means guessed).
• Fading and colour casts — the yellow, magenta or cyan tint that old colour prints develop.
• Grain and noise.
• Low contrast and washed-out tones.

Keep it authentic

Restoration should bring back the photo, not replace it:

• Compare faces carefully. AI aims to preserve identity, but always check that grandparents still look like themselves — especially with heavy damage, where the AI has to fill in more.
• Start with Restore and only move to Pro or Beta if needed; stronger modes change more.
• Keep the original scan alongside the restored version. Future tools may do even better, and the original is the historical record.

Add colour, sharpen faces, enlarge

Restoration often goes hand in hand with other steps:

• Colour: for black-and-white photos, the AI Photo Colorizer adds natural colour; its "Restore & Colorize" mode repairs and colours in one go.
• Faces: for group photos where faces are tiny and soft, the AI Face Enhancer concentrates on facial detail.
• Printing larger: small prints scanned at low resolution can be enlarged with the AI Image Upscaler.

Sharing and printing the result

Restored family photos make wonderful gifts: print them on photo paper, make a photo book, or share them with relatives. Save a high-quality copy (PNG or high-quality JPG) for printing and a smaller JPG for messaging.

Frequently asked questions

Can it fix a photo that's badly torn in half?

Tears are repaired, and missing pieces are reconstructed by the AI. The more is missing, the more is invented, so results vary; small tears come out best.

How many photos can I restore?

2 a day on the free plan. Scan everything first, then restore your favourites a couple each day.

Does it work on phone photos of prints?

Yes, though a flatbed scan gives better results. Avoid glare and shoot straight on.