Fix closed eyes in a vacation photo

Blinked in the best photo from your trip? You can't go back for a retake, but you can open your eyes in the photo you have. The view, the light and your smile stay the same.

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Before: A sunny terrace photo with both eyes shut, then opened with the Eyes dial. The smile, the freckles and the bay stay the same; the face comes out a little softer. The person is AI-generated. — A sunny terrace photo with both eyes shut, then opened with the Eyes dial. The smile, the freckles and the bay stay the same; the face comes out a little softer. The person is AI-generated.

After: A sunny terrace photo with both eyes shut, then opened with the Eyes dial. The smile, the freckles and the bay stay the same; the face comes out a little softer. The person is AI-generated. — A sunny terrace photo with both eyes shut, then opened with the Eyes dial. The smile, the freckles and the bay stay the same; the face comes out a little softer. The person is AI-generated.

Vacation photos are where blinks hurt most. Bright sun makes you squint and blink, a stranger is holding your phone, and by the time you see the photo you've left. Here's how to save it.

1. Check for another frame (free)

Your phone may have kept more than one moment.

iPhone: if the photo says Live, tap Edit, then the Live Photo button, and slide to a frame where your eyes are open. Tap Make Key Photo. See choosing a Live Photo key photo.
Android: with Motion Photo on, open the photo in Google Photos, swipe up, tap View all under the shots in this photo and save a better frame. On Pixel and Galaxy phones, Best Take and Best face can also help. See the Android guide.

2. Ask whoever took it (free)

If a friend or a stranger took the photo on their phone, they may have more shots. Ask before you leave the place, or message your friend afterward.

3. Open your eyes with Glowly

If every frame has the blink, retouch the one you love.

Open app.glow.ly and choose the photo. It works in any phone or computer browser.
Auto runs first. If your eyes are still closed, tap Eyes and turn the dial toward Open.
Press and hold the photo to compare with the original, then save it.

Only your eyes and the skin around them change. The view behind you, your clothes and your smile stay as they were. In a group photo, you choose your own face and everyone else stays untouched.

Avoid the blink on your next trip

Turn so the sun is beside you, not in your eyes.
Ask whoever takes the photo to hold the shutter for a burst, or take a few in a row.
Close your eyes, then open them on "three".

More tips in how to stop blinking in photos.

Can I fix closed eyes in an old vacation photo?

Yes, as long as you have the photo file and your face is reasonably sharp and large enough in the frame. It works on photos from any phone or camera.

Does it change the background?

No. Only your eyes and the skin around them change. The view, the sky and everything behind you stay as they were.

How much does it cost?

Previews in the web editor cost nothing. 3 full-size saves cost $1.99. In the iPhone app your first 2 saves are free.

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 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.
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 pick a different frame from a Live Photo on iPhoneBlinked or looked away in a Live Photo? Choose a better frame as the key photo in a few taps, and know when that trick isn't enough.

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 photo on AndroidMost Android phones can't open closed eyes, but there are a few ways to fix a blink, from a motion photo frame to Best Take on Pixel and Best Face on Galaxy.
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 closed eyes in a selfieBlinked in the selfie you liked best? Pick another frame if you have one, or open your eyes in the photo you took. Your smile and the background stay as they were.
Fix a dark face in a backlit photoSunset behind you and your face came out dark? Light your face and keep the sunset. Your expression and hair stay as they were.
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 eyes not looking at the cameraGreat smile, but your eyes were on something else? Turn your eyes to the camera in the photo you already have. Your face, smile and background 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 when you laughed in a photoLaughed so hard your eyes shut in the best photo of the night? Open your eyes and keep the laugh. Your smile, the light and the background stay as they were.
Fix closed eyes in a night photoBlinked 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.
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 your head tilted down in a photoChin down and looking up at the camera, so you look tired or moody? Lift your chin a little in the photo you already have. Your face, hair and background stay the same.
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 a tight-lipped smile in a photoPressed your lips together when someone said "smile"? Turn a tight, closed smile into your natural one in the photo you already have. Everything else stays the same.
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.