How to Blur a Video on iPhone: Transforming Videos with Ease

Ready to learn how to blur a video on iPhone? Discover built-in apps and the CapCut mobile and online video editor to empower you to add the blur effect to videos with just your iPhone.

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how to blur a video on iphone
CapCut
CapCut2023-12-19
0 min(s)

Looking to know how to blur a video on an iPhone? This can hide sensitive details, conceal someone's identity, or add artistic flair to your footage. If you are unsure how to do it, wonder no more! This guide will show you how to blur video on an iPhone conveniently. Read on and elevate your mobile videography to a higher level.

Table of content

How to blur a video with cinematic mode on iPhone's Photo app

The cinematic mode on the iPhone is a robust video feature that utilizes the rack focus technique to track multiple points on an object or subject. This allows for a seamless focus shifting during recording and creates a beautiful blurring effect in the foreground or background, making your subject stand out in sharp focus.

You can blur videos captured in cinematic mode on iPhone with the Photos app as shown below:

  1. Launch the iPhone's Photos app and open a clip you've recorded in cinematic mode.
  2. Tap Edit and select the Depth Control tool by tapping the (f) icon at the top left of your screen.
  3. You'll see a slider appear at the bottom, and then you can drag it to the right or left to adjust and control the depth of field effect.
  4. After you are satisfied with the results, tap Done at the bottom right to save the video with a blurred background or foreground.
  5. 
    Steps to blur videos with iPhone

Although the iPhone camera can automatically identify and change focus as you record in cinematic mode, you can also achieve this manually with the preinstalled Photo app on iPhone 13, 14, and 15 models, as shown below:

  1. Run the iPhone Photos app, select a video captured in cinematic mode, and tap Edit. You'll see white and yellow dots under the frame viewer. White dots show where the camera automatically changed the focus, while yellow dots show where the focus was manually altered.
  2. Play the video or drag the frame viewer's white vertical bar to where you intend to adjust the focus.
  3. Tap on the new object you want to focus on, and a yellow dot will appear on the frame viewer to indicate a manual focus change. Or, double-tap it for auto-subject focus tracking.
  4. You can repeat the process for the entire video length, and when you are happy with the outcome, tap Done to save your changes.

How to blur a video on iPhone using the iMovie app

iMovie is a free video editing app pre-installed on iPhones, iPads, and Macs. It offers many video effects and tools for color correction, stabilization, etc. Though it doesn't have a blur option, with its merger feature, it is still possible to blur your video by superimposing a blurred image over it. You can use it with ease to add a blur effect to videos as follows:

  1. Launch the iMovie app on your iPhone to commence a new project or blur a previously added clip.
  2. Find the video to be blurred from your iPhone library, select it, and tap Create Movie.
  3. Tap the (+) button to select a pixelated, blurred, or black picture on the editing interface and tap the three onscreen dots.
  4. Select Picture in Picture to add the image, and then you can drag it to the point of the video you want to blur. If you intend to blur the entire video length, drag it accordingly.
  5. Play your final video to preview it, and if your final work is all right, tap Done. The blurred video will be saved on your iMovie projects.
  6. 
    Steps to add a blur effect to videos

How to blur a video on an iPhone with the CapCut mobile editing app

CapCut is widely known as a dedicated multimedia editor with a versatile mobile editing app. You can blur a video on your iPhone with a few screen taps and achieve studio-grade output. It has a short learning curve and is perfect for all skill-level editors, even those without prior experience.

  • Various blurring effects
  • It provides users with different video blurring options, like motion blur, spot blur, surface blur, chrome blur, oblique blur, blueline blur, etc., to soften pixels and remove noise. You can also blur a video background for high-quality blurred branding and social media clips.
  • Rich video editing options
  • There are many tools and features for basic and advanced editing, such as freeze, mask, split scene, keyframes, speed curves, animations, etc. You can also simplify video editing with AI-powered elements like one-click background remover, retouching, video stabilizer, and more.
  • Rich media resources
  • iPhone users can use the abundant preset templates to simplify video editing and the vast collections of stickers, soundtracks, music, voice effects, etc., to kickstart their company branding, marketing, etc.
  • Quick sharability
  • After you've blurred a video and edited it to perfection, you can directly post it to TikTok, Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp, Instagram, and Helo. Or, you can save it to your iPhone's local disk storage for later use.

Also, the CapCut mobile editing app lets you add the blur effect to the entire video, a part of the video, or the video's background. Here is the step-by-step breakdown:

How to blur the entire video

Blurring an entire video from start to finish is effortless with the CapCut mobile editing application.

    Step
  1. Upload media
  2. First, download the CapCut mobile editor from the App Store and run it. You can import videos you previously edited on the platform from your CapCut cloud space. Or tap New project to browse your iPhone's local disk or use stock videos offered by CapCut for free.
  3. Step
  4. Blur and edit
  5. After uploading your video, crop it to a suitable length, choose whether or not to use it in HD, and then click Add to open the editing interface. Go to Effects > Video effects on the bottom toolbar and search blur. You will be presented with various blur effects and styles. You can try any blur option and adjust its intensity.
  6. Tap the checkmark to return to the editing interface for further enhancements. There are basic and advanced video editing options, such as split scene, speed curve, animation, overlay, filters, retouch, mask, stabilize, freeze, vocal isolation, audio extraction, noise reduction, etc.
  7. Step
  8. Export
  9. After you've added your favorite blur effect and manipulated other video highlights to satisfaction, you can tap the resolution drop-down arrow in the upper right corner to adjust the final video resolution, frame rate, and code rate. Proceed to either download the video to your iPhone's local storage space, directly post it on your TikTok and other social media platforms, or share it to WhatsApp, Helo, etc. The video will also be automatically saved on your CapCut cloud space so that you can access it anytime, anywhere.
  10. 

How to blur part of a video

Blurring only a part of your video is also straightforward and hassle-free. You can do it in these three easy steps.

    Step
  1. Import video
  2. Open the CapCut mobile app on your iPhone and import the video. Like above, you can upload from your iPhone's local storage or use CapCut's stock videos.
  3. Step
  4. Blur part of the video
  5. Next, tap Overlay, select the video again to add it as an overlay, and adjust its size and position. Go to Effects and search for your desired blur effect. Tap Object at the bottom of your screen, and once more, choose Overlay and tap the tick mark. Choose the Overlay option again and tap Mask to select a shape that can hide the unwanted object or subject. Put the mask shape in the right place, and use your two fingers to adjust its size. You can also change the blur effect's intensity and perform basic and advanced editing to polish the blurry video on your iPhone.
  6. Step
  7. Export
  8. When done, click the tick mark and save the video to your iPhone, or tap the option to share directly on TikTok and other social media platforms.
  9. 

How to blur the background on an iPhone video

But what if you only want to blur the video background? It is nothing to worry about because you can do it in a few screen taps with the CapCut mobile editing app. Here's how to blur the background in a video on an iPhone:

    Step
  1. Upload
  2. Importing a video to the CapCut mobile editor is straightforward. Like the previous methods, you have multiple ways to upload the video you want to blur its background, including from your CapCut cloud storage, your iPhone local disk, and stock videos.
  3. Step
  4. Blur video background and edit
  5. Once the video is in the CapCut mobile editing interface, how to blur the video background on an iPhone becomes easy. Use the bottom toolbar and navigate to Canvas. You'll see the color, background, and blur options. Tap Blur, and you'll be presented with four options to blur a video background. Find the one you prefer to use and tap the Checkmark to select it. Just like that, you'll have added the blur effect to your video's background. You can now use your two fingers to resize the video for the perfect blurred background. Also, you can use other tools and features to improve and enhance your video for the best possible outcome.
  6. Step
  7. Export
  8. After adding the blurred background and editing your video with basic and advanced editing elements, you can download the outcome to your iPhone or share it on your favorite social media platforms like TikTok without exiting the CapCut mobile editor.


However, there are times when editing your videos on your iPhone can have multiple limitations, such as screen size, processing power, limited storage, precision editing, and limited features. In that case, it is recommended to use the CapCut online video editor for effortless editing.

How to blur an iPhone video in the CapCut online video editor

Ever wondered how you can edit media on multiple devices across all operating systems? Or do you want to add a blur effect to that Insta-perfect golden hour on the go for your travel vlog? Maybe it is to blur some parts of a marketing video without downloading or installing software. Well, you're in safe hands. For these and many other video editing needs, the CapCut online video editor is the solution. You will enjoy immediacy, findability, compatibility, and shareability without updating or upgrading. There are also many video effects and filters to enhance your videos. Using the platform is also easy, and this is how to blur a video on the CapCut online video editor:

    Step
  1. Upload media
  2. Unlike the mobile app, the CapCut online version offers many video-uploading methods. You can upload from iPhone using an onscreen QR code, import from your CapCut cloud space, your computer storage, or from your Google Drive and Dropbox accounts in one click.
  3. 
    Upload media
  4. Step
  5. Blur and edit
  6. With your clip added to the CapCut video editing interface, open the Effects tab and, under Video effects, search Blur. You'll be presented with different video blur effects.
  7. 
    Blur and edit
  8. Click on your preferred video blur effect, and it will appear on your timeline. You can drag it to apply it to a section of the video or cover the entire clip length. You can also increase or decrease the intensity of the applied video blur effect to a level that works best for your videos. You can also add multiple blur effects to a video clip, especially for very long videos.
  9. 
    Blur and edit
  10. What's more, you can also blur your video background with one click with the background settings on the right-side panel. Or you can use advanced editing features like masking to blur only a specific part or area of your video.
  11. 
    blur your video background
  12. After you've blurred your video, you can perform additional editing with tools like Split Scene to auto-split videos into permanent downloadable scenes. You can also add transitions, filters, speed curves, keyframes, and more, or explore smart tools like transcript-based editing, voice changer, background remover, etc.
  13. 
    perform additional editing with tools
  14. Step
  15. Export
  16. Once done, click Export. You can send the final blurred video for reviewing, presentations, and directly to your TikTok, YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels, and Facebook pages. If you want to download it for later use, click Download, and the video will be saved to your device. The latter option lets you adjust resolution, frame rate, and quality and set the format as MP4 or MOV. Your final video will be added to your CapCut cloud-based storage, and users can easily access these videos from their CapCut space anytime.

Export

Other alternatives to blur videos on iPhone

If you need to explore more iPhone apps for adding the blur effect to your videos, here are a few reliable options.

1. Blur Video Background

The Blur Video Background is one of the leading apps to add the blur effect to videos on iPhone. You can use it to hide backgrounds, license plates, faces, logos, etc. It offers features like robust video blurring, blur strength adjusting, keyframes, and blurring of multiple moving objects.


Blur Video Background

2. YouCamVideo

As a selfie video editing application, YouCamVideo can also be used to add the blur effect to your videos quickly and effortlessly. It is free to use and leverages the power of artificial intelligence to detect the background and automatically apply the blur effect precisely.


YouCamVideo

3. Video Toolbox Movie Maker

Another iOS app to blur videos effectively is the Video Toolbox Movie Maker. You can use it when you are combining different clips into one long video and need to blur the background. It also offers basic video manipulation settings.


Video Toolbox Movie Maker

4. Video Mosaic App

Another great iPhone app for blurring videos is the Video Mosaic application. You can use it to create a mosaic effect and apply it to any part of your video. It is excellent for blurring an entire video or even a part of the video.


Video Mosaic App

5. VideoShow

VideoShow app is a professional video editing tool that offers you a variety of useful video editing features, including the blur option, facial recognition, face effects, motion stickers, etc. Once you've edited your video, the app also allows easy sharing online.


VideoShow

Conclusion

Whether you're a seasoned videographer or a budding enthusiast, mastering the art of video blurring on your iPhone can elevate your storytelling with a touch of cinematic flair to your videos. From the simplicity of the built-in Photos app to the advanced features of third-party applications, you have a wealth of tools to achieve the desired blur effect. But if you want an all-in-one solution, then CapCut is it. With its mobile and online video editor, you can easily blur an entire video, its background, or a part of it and enhance your video highlights with premium tools for free. Try it and never look back!

FAQs

  1. How to blur faces in a video on iPhone?
  2. Regarding how to blur faces in a video on an iPhone, you need to adopt reliable video editing software. With CapCut mobile and online video editor, you can blur faces just by using the blur effect. With a few clicks, you can conceal the face and leave the rest of the video clear.
  3. What is the best solution to blur something in video on an iPhone?
  4. If you need the ultimate solution on how to blur something in a video on an iPhone, the best solution is the CapCut online video editor. First, you don't have to download or install any app since it is web-based and works on all browsers. It also has various blurring effects that you can use to blur specific objects or subjects easily without prior editing experience.
  5. How do you make blurry videos on an iPhone clear?
  6. You can make blurry videos clear on your iPhone using the Photos app or with the CapCut. It offers a professional video upscaler that can reduce noise and raise the sharpness of the video. It also offers basic and advanced tools to help professionally edit your videos.
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