Restore old photos
Add an old or damaged photo. Get it repaired, and colorized if you want.
Nothing sends until you start, and you can change anything afterwards.
Export formats
- Image Download it, or drop it into another chat.
It also lands in your Library, so you can open it again or bring it into another chat.
How it works
- Attach a scan or a phone photo of the print, and say what you want: repair only, repair and colorize, or colorize only. If you do not say, askROI asks.
- askROI's Restore and colorize an old photo tool looks at the photo to name the actual damage (fading, scratches, tears, stains, blur, silvering), then repairs it and adds color in the same pass when you asked for both.
- Download the restored image, or point out any area that needs another pass, such as a stubborn stain or a face that came out too smooth.
What people use it for
- Old family photos repair wedding pictures, baby photos, and portraits that have creased, torn, or faded.
- Black and white prints add natural skin tones and muted, period-appropriate color to old black and white shots.
- Faded color snapshots recover the contrast and color of prints from the 1970s and 1980s that have shifted.
- Anniversaries and memorials prepare an old photo of a person for a reunion, a tribute, or a framed gift.
Questions
Will it change how people look?
It aims not to. The restoration works to keep every face, expression, pose, piece of clothing, and the background as they were, but faces can come out a little cleaner or more defined than the scan. Compare them with the original, and ask for a stricter pass or a repair with no color if a likeness looks off.
Can it colorize a black and white photo?
Yes. It adds realistic, historically plausible color: natural skin tones, muted clothing colors for the period, and subtle color in the setting, while keeping the original lighting. Ask for colorization alone or together with the repair.
What if part of the photo is missing?
askROI tells you when a detail is truly unrecoverable, such as a face that has been torn away or destroyed, instead of inventing one. The repair is aimed at scratches, creases, stains, fading, blur, and small torn corners.
What should I upload?
A flatbed scan of the print gives the most detail. A straight-on phone photo in even light, without glare, also works.
What does it not do?
It does not set out to retouch or beautify people, rebuild a face that is gone, or add people and objects that were not in the photo. It also does not change the composition or crop of the picture.
Is it free?
Image editing uses credits, and askROI warns you before a generation that spends them quickly. The free plan includes some to start with.