Fix closed eyes in a night photo

Blinked in the one good photo from a night out? Open your eyes in the photo you already have. Your smile, the city lights and the background stay as they were.

Retouch in your browser Coming soon on theApp Store

Or retouch in your browser

Before: Caught mid-blink on a neon street at night, then fixed with the Eyes dial. The smile, the freckles and the lights stay the same. The person is AI-generated. — Caught mid-blink on a neon street at night, then fixed with the Eyes dial. The smile, the freckles and the lights stay the same. The person is AI-generated.

After: Caught mid-blink on a neon street at night, then fixed with the Eyes dial. The smile, the freckles and the lights stay the same. The person is AI-generated. — Caught mid-blink on a neon street at night, then fixed with the Eyes dial. The smile, the freckles and the lights stay the same. The person is AI-generated.

To fix closed eyes in a night photo, first check for a better frame in a Live Photo or a burst. If there isn't one, open the eyes with a retouching tool such as Glowly, which changes your eyes and leaves your smile, the lights and the background as they were.

Night photos catch more blinks than daytime ones. In low light the shutter stays open longer, so there is more time to catch you with your eyes closing, and a flash often makes people blink just as it fires. There's usually no second chance either: the moment has passed, and everyone has gone home.

Free options first

Live Photo. On iPhone, open the photo, tap Edit, then the Live Photo button, and slide to a frame where your eyes are open. Set it as the key photo. It's free, though night frames can be a little blurry.
The burst. If a friend took several in a row, look at the frames before and after. Eyes are rarely closed in two frames running.
Another photo with the same light. If you can't save this one, a nearby frame may have the same mood with a better face.

How to fix it with Glowly

Open the web editor in any phone or computer browser, or Glowly on iPhone, and choose the photo.
Auto runs first. It sees the closed eyes and opens them, along with anything else the photo needs.
To adjust, tap Eyes and turn the dial. Stop as soon as you look awake.
Press and hold the photo to compare with the original, then save.

Glowly redraws your eyes and the skin around them. In strong colored light, such as neon, the new eyes pick up the color around them, so check them at full size before you save.

Getting it to look right

Leave a laughing squint alone. If you were laughing, slightly narrowed eyes look natural. Wide-open eyes above a big laugh don't.
Check the color. Neon and bar lighting can leave one side of the face pink or blue. Make sure both eyes match the side of the face they're on.
Zoom in before saving. A small photo hides a lot. Look at the eyes at full size.

Why do I always blink in photos at night?

Low light means a slower shutter, so a blink is more likely to land in the frame, and flash can trigger one. Our guide on how to stop blinking in photos has ways to avoid it next time.

Can I fix closed eyes in a night photo for free?

Sometimes. A Live Photo or a burst may already hold a better frame. If not, Glowly is free to preview. In the web editor there's nothing to install and no account needed to try; 3 full-size saves cost $1.99. On iPhone your first 2 saves are free.

Will it change the rest of my face?

Glowly doesn't reshape your face or smooth your skin. It changes the eyes you asked it to change, and you can compare with the original before you save.

What happens to my photo?

Your original is never changed. Originals and unsaved edits are deleted from our servers after 7 days. See the privacy policy.

How to fix closed eyes in a photoSomeone blinked in the one photo where everything else is right. Here are the ways to fix closed eyes on iPhone, from Live Photos to AI retouching, and what to avoid.
How to stop blinking in photosWhy you always seem to blink in photos, what photographers do about it, and how to fix a blink in a photo you already have.
Why your eyes look half closed in photos, and how to fix itSquinting, sleepy-looking or half-closed eyes in photos have a few simple causes. Here's how to avoid them, and how to fix a photo where it already happened.

Fix something else

Fix closed eyes in a photoBlinked in the one good photo? Open your eyes in the photo you already have. Only your eyes change; the light, the room and your expression stay as they were.
Fix closed eyes in a group photoBlinked in the group photo where everyone else looks great? Open your own eyes in that photo. Everyone else, and everything around you, stays exactly as it was.
Fix closed eyes in a photo on iPhoneThe iPhone Photos app can't open closed eyes, but there are three ways to fix a blink on iPhone, two of them free. Here's which to try first.
Fix a forced smile in a photoA stiff, held-too-long smile can make a good photo look awkward. Soften it into a natural one in the photo you already have, and keep everything else.
Fix half-closed eyes in a photoEyes caught halfway through a blink, or squinting in the sun? Open them a little in the photo you already have. Only your eyes change; the light, the place and your smile stay as they were.
Fix closed eyes in a graduation photoBlinked in your graduation photo? Open your eyes in the photo you already have, from the ceremony, the campus or the family shot. Only your eyes change.
Fix closed eyes in a wedding photoBlinked in a wedding photo? Ask the photographer for the next frame, or open your own eyes in the photo you have. Everyone else and the moment stay exactly as they were.
Fix looking angry in a photoLook annoyed in a photo when you felt fine? Relax lowered brows in the photo you already have. Your face, the light and the background stay as they were.
Add a smile to a photoLooked serious in a photo you otherwise love? Add a natural, closed or open smile to your own face, and leave the rest of the photo untouched.
Fix squinting in a photoSquinted in the sun in a photo you otherwise like? Open your eyes a little in the photo you already have. The sunlight, the place and your smile stay as they were.
Fix looking tired in a photoLook tired in a photo taken late or in dim light? Open heavy eyes a little and lift the light on your face, in the photo you already have.
Make your dating profile photo betterYour best dating photo is often one you already have, minus a blink or a stiff smile. Fix the moment, keep the person, and put your best real photo first.