Question 1

Are my photos uploaded to a server?

Accepted Answer

No. Your image is upscaled entirely on your device and never uploaded — the AI runs in your browser, so your photo never leaves your computer or phone. The only network request is a one-time download of the model and the engine that runs it (not your image), which is then cached.

Question 2

Which AI model does it use, and is it really free?

Accepted Answer

It uses Real-ESRGAN “general x4v3”, a well-regarded open-source super-resolution model (BSD-3-Clause licensed), running in your browser via ONNX Runtime. It’s completely free, with no account, no watermark and no limit on how many images you upscale.

Question 3

Why does it take a while, especially at 4×?

Accepted Answer

Super-resolution is genuinely heavy computation, and it runs on your own device rather than a server. The image is processed in tiles with a live progress bar, so you can see it working. Smaller images and 2× finish quicker; large images at 4× take the longest. The first run also downloads the model once (then it’s cached).

Question 4

What’s the difference between 2× and 4×?

Accepted Answer

4× quadruples each side (roughly 16× the pixels); 2× doubles each side. The model upscales at 4× natively, and for 2× we cleanly scale that result down by half. Pick 4× for the most enlargement, or 2× for a lighter, faster boost.

Question 5

Can it fix a blurry or out-of-focus photo?

Accepted Answer

Honestly, no. Upscaling adds resolution and sharpens detail that’s already in the picture — it can’t invent detail that was never captured. So out-of-focus shots, motion blur and heavily blurred photos can’t be recovered; you’ll just get a larger version of the same blur. It’s built to enlarge images that are small but sharp, not to refocus them.

Question 6

What works best, and is there a size limit?

Accepted Answer

It shines on images that are small or low-resolution but still in focus — old photos, thumbnails, compressed pictures, logos and product shots — adding real sharpness and detail rather than just enlarging. Very large images are scaled to fit first (the result is capped around 4K) so your browser stays responsive. For the cleanest result, start from the sharpest source you have.

Question 7

What format do I get back?

Accepted Answer

A PNG at the upscaled resolution, shown with a Before/After toggle so you can compare, then downloaded with one click.

Image Upscaler

Frequently asked questions

Image Compressor

Image Resizer

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Background Remover