Fix half-closed eyes in a photo

Eyes 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.

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Before: Eyes half closed in a smile, then opened a little with Glowly. The wall, the shirt and the light are unchanged. — Eyes half closed in a smile, then opened a little with Glowly. The wall, the shirt and the light are unchanged.

After: Eyes half closed in a smile, then opened a little with Glowly. The wall, the shirt and the light are unchanged. — Eyes half closed in a smile, then opened a little with Glowly. The wall, the shirt and the light are unchanged.

Half-closed eyes are harder to notice than a full blink, and often more annoying. The camera caught you a moment early or late, or the sun made you squint, and now you look sleepy in a photo where you felt wide awake.

How to open half-closed eyes with Glowly

Open the web editor in any phone or computer browser, or Glowly on iPhone, and choose the photo. There's nothing to install.
Auto runs first. It sees the half-closed eyes and opens them, along with anything else the photo needs.
To fine-tune, tap Eyes and turn the dial. Half-closed eyes usually need only a little: stop as soon as you look awake.
Press and hold the photo to compare with the original, then save.

Glowly redraws only your eyes and the skin around them. Your face shape, hair, clothes and background stay the same, so a smile still reads as the same smile.

Before you edit: two free options

Live Photo. On iPhone, tap Edit, then the Live Photo button, and slide to a frame where your eyes are fully open. Set it as the key photo. It's free, a little softer than the original still.
The burst. If you took several in a row, check the frames before and after. Eyes are rarely half closed in two frames running.

Our guide on why your eyes look half closed in photos explains the causes and how to avoid them next time.

Getting it to look right

Less is more. Eyes that are a little narrowed in a laugh look natural. Open them just enough that you look awake, not surprised.
Keep the squint if it's the sun. In bright light, fully wide eyes can look odd. Open them partway.
Compare at full size. Hold the photo to see the original, then zoom in on the eyes before saving.

Why do my eyes look half closed in photos?

Usually the shutter caught the start or end of a blink, or you were squinting in bright light. Smiling hard narrows the eyes too. Some people's eyes simply look smaller on camera than in the mirror.

Can I fix it for free?

Yes, if a Live Photo or burst has a better frame. Retouching in 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 my eyes look different?

They stay yours. Shape, color and eyelid crease come from your face, not a template, and you choose how far to open them.

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.

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.
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.

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 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.
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.