How to Restore Old Photos on an iPhone (Complete Guide)

TL;DR

A great restoration starts with a clean, glare-free scan.

Use editing tools to fix color cast, fading, and contrast.

Gently sharpen the image and use healing tools to remove scratches and dust.

Always save a restored copy and keep the original scan untouched.

Old photographs are windows to the past, but over decades, these precious prints can fade, acquire scratches, and develop color shifts. Fortunately, you don't need to be a professional retoucher to bring them back to life. Your iPhone has powerful editing capabilities built-in, and with the right approach, you can dramatically improve the quality of your family's historical photos. This guide provides a complete, step-by-step workflow for digital photo restoration. We'll show you how to start with a high-quality scan, perform essential edits like color correction and sharpening, and digitally repair common issues like dust and scratches. The goal is to create a vibrant, clean digital copy that honors the original memory, ready to be shared and preserved for the future.

See also: If you’re comparing apps, read our Photomyne vs PhotoScanRestore breakdown or consider the best Photomyne alternative if quality and glare removal are your top priorities.

1) Start with a High-Quality Scan

Digital restoration can only enhance the details that are captured in the scan. You cannot fix a bad scan with editing, so this first step is the most important.

Use bright, even light: Avoid flash at all costs. Natural, indirect light is best. Follow the detailed steps in our guide to scanning photos on an iPhone.
Keep the phone parallel: To avoid distortion, hold your phone flat and parallel to the print.
Clean the photo and lens: Gently wipe away dust from the print and your iPhone lens with a soft cloth.

Pro tip: If you encounter stubborn glare, step back and use a 1.5x zoom. This narrows the camera's angle and often reduces reflections.

2) Fix Color, Contrast, and Tone

Old photos often have a color cast, usually yellow or magenta. Correcting this is the most impactful part of the restoration process.

Start with Auto-Correction: In the Photos app, tap "Edit" and use the "Auto" enhance tool as a starting point. It often does a great job with color and contrast.
Adjust White Balance: If the colors still look off, find the "Warmth" and "Tint" sliders. Adjust them until skin tones look natural and whites look neutral.
Lift Midtones and Set Contrast: Use the "Brilliance" or "Shadows" sliders to bring out details in darker areas. Slightly increase "Contrast" or deepen "Black Point" to make the photo pop, but be careful not to lose detail in the shadows.

3) Sharpen Gently (Without Overdoing It)

Sharpening can bring back a sense of clarity, but too much will make the photo look unnatural.

Apply Modest Sharpening: Use the "Sharpen" tool in small increments.
Zoom In: Check the results on faces and fine details at 100% zoom. If you see crunchy halos around edges, you've gone too far.
Pair with Noise Reduction: After sharpening, apply a light touch of "Noise Reduction" to smooth out any grain that was emphasized. If the original photo is very blurry, refer to our guide on how to fix blurry photos.

4) Remove Scratches, Dust, and Blemishes

This step requires patience but can yield amazing results.

Use a Healing Tool: For the best results, you may need an app with a "healing" or "clone" brush (like Snapseed or Lightroom Mobile).
Zoom In and Work Small: Zoom in on a scratch or dust spot. Use a small brush size and tap or paint over the imperfection. The tool will intelligently blend the surrounding area to cover it.
Tackle the Biggest Distractions First: Focus on removing the most noticeable scratches, especially those over faces or important subjects.

5) Save, Organize, and Back Up

Once your restoration is complete, it's crucial to save it properly.

Export a New Copy: Always save your restored image as a new file. This preserves your original, untouched scan as a digital negative.
Use Descriptive Filenames: Name your files with dates, names, and places (e.g., 1972-Grandmas-Wedding-Restored.jpg).
Back It Up: Store your restored photos in the cloud and on a separate physical drive. Follow the archival advice in our photo preservation guide.

Ready to Restore Your Photos?

Now that you know the steps, it's time to bring your own family photos back to life. The tools in PhotoScanRestore are designed to make this process simple and intuitive.

FAQs

Can I colorize black-and-white photos on my iPhone? Yes, many modern apps offer AI-powered colorization. The results can be impressive, but always treat it as a creative interpretation and keep the original black-and-white version safe.

How much restoration is too much? The goal is to enhance the original photo, not create something artificial. Strive for natural-looking results. If an edit looks obvious, it's probably too much.

Should I physically try to repair a torn photo? No. Attempting to repair a torn or creased photo with tape or glue can cause irreversible damage. It's much safer to repair it digitally after scanning.

Editor’s note: This guide is part of our series on restoring old photos and our iPhone scanning hub. We are committed to helping you preserve your family's history.