Local Photo Restore

Old photo restoration for iPhone & iPad

Bring faded family photos back, without uploading them.

Local Photo Restore sharpens soft, low-resolution pictures with on-device AI, lifts the yellow cast from aging prints, and brings back faded contrast. Compare before and after, then save a new copy. Your original stays untouched.

Download on theApp Store

$3.99 onceNo subscription · no in-app purchases

  • No photo uploads
  • No account
  • Original never overwritten
  • iPhone & iPad, iOS 18.2+
Before: a faded 1970s-style color snapshot of three generations on a porchAfter restoration in the app: the same photo, clearer with less yellow cast
Three generations on a porch. Drag the handle to compare.Input 512 × 512 pxOutput 2048 × 2048 pxEnhance + Auto Fix (yellow tint 75%, contrast 55%)

Straight answers first

What it fixes, and what it won’t.

Restoration apps love to promise miracles. This one is built for a specific set of problems, and it’s upfront about the rest so you can choose the right tool.

Good at

  • Soft or low-resolution photosAI enhancement enlarges up to 4x on your device for clearer edges and texture.
  • Yellowed color printsA Remove Yellow Tint slider neutralizes the warm cast that builds up over decades.
  • Washed-out, faded picturesRestore Contrast brings back depth and the color that’s still in the photo.
  • Checking your workDrag a before/after divider and pinch to zoom before you save.

Not designed for

  • Scratches, tears, creases, stainsPhysical damage stays visible. See options for damaged prints.
  • Colorizing black-and-whiteB&W photos get clearer, not colorized. Why that matters.
  • Rebuilding faces or missing areasNo generative face restoration or scene reconstruction.
  • Archival-accurate detailAI enhancement can invent fine texture. Keep the original as the record. Read the limits.

How it works

Three steps, all on your phone.

No sign-up, no upload queue, no credits to count.

  1. Local Photo Restore start screen with Choose a Photo and Scan a Printed Photo buttons

    1Pick or scan a photo

    Choose a picture from Photos, or photograph a printed snapshot with the camera.

  2. An enhanced black-and-white family photo with Remove Yellow Tint and Restore Contrast sliders and an Auto Fix button

    2Enhance and adjust

    Enhance for clarity and size, then tap Auto Fix or fine-tune yellow tint and contrast.

  3. Before and after comparison of a backyard family photo with a draggable divider

    3Compare, then save

    Drag the divider, pinch in on faces, and save a new copy to Photos.

Real app output

Before and after, straight from the app.

Every “after” below is the app’s own unretouched output, exported from the shipping restoration pipeline. The “before” is shown at the size the app received it.

Before: three children running through a lawn sprinkler in a faded warm-toned snapshotAfter restoration in the app: the same photo, clearer with less yellow cast
Summer sprinkler, faded warm snapshot.Input 1448 × 1086 pxOutput 4728 × 3544 px (capped near 17 MP)Enhance + Auto Fix
Before: a softly faded family portrait in a backyard with a mild yellow castAfter restoration in the app: the same photo, clearer with less yellow cast
Backyard family portrait with a mild yellow cast.Input 627 × 627 pxOutput 2508 × 2508 pxEnhance + Auto Fix

About these examples: the source photos are synthetic test images of fictional people, generated so no real family’s photos are used without consent. They are aged to look like faded prints; none include scratches or tears, because the app doesn’t repair those. Results on your photos depend on the scan or capture you start with.

Private by design

Your family photos stay with your family.

Enhancement runs on your iPhone or iPad with a model built into the app. There is no photo-processing server, no account, and no advertising SDK. The photos you choose and the results you save are not uploaded to the developer or anyone else.

The app uses RevenueCat for purchase reporting and onboarding analytics tied to a random app identifier; photos and edits are never sent. Details are in the privacy policy.

  • No uploads. Processing happens on the device in your hand.
  • No account. Open the app and choose a photo.
  • Original preserved. Saving always creates a new copy in Photos.
  • Up to 4x larger. Output is capped near 17 megapixels to fit device memory.

Pricing

Pay once. Restore the whole shoebox.

Many restoration apps charge weekly or per-credit. Local Photo Restore is a paid app: one purchase unlocks every tool with no limits on how many photos you restore.

Pricing details, including earlier subscriptions →

U.S. App Store

$3.99one time

  • Every restoration tool and full-resolution saving
  • No subscription, credits, or in-app purchases
  • iPhone and iPad (iOS or iPadOS 18.2 or later)
Download on theApp Store

Prices in other countries may differ; the App Store shows your local price before you buy. Checked September 25, 2026.

Choosing a tool

How it compares.

Cloud apps such as Remini and MyHeritage can do things this app can’t, like face reconstruction, scratch repair, and (in MyHeritage) colorization, and they usually charge by subscription. Photoshop can repair real damage by hand. Here’s the short version; the full comparison has current prices and sources.

OptionWhere photos are processedScratch & tear repairColorize B&WHow you pay
Local Photo RestoreOn your deviceNoNo$3.99 once
ReminiCloudClaimed (AI repair)Not listed in the iOS appWeekly or monthly subscription
MyHeritageCloudYes (Photo Repair)Yes (In Color)Annual subscription; a few free photos
Adobe PhotoshopYour computer; some AI features use the cloudYes, manual and AI-assistedYes (Colorize filter)Monthly subscription

Summary of features; see the comparison page for plan prices checked September 25, 2026, and sources.

Questions

Before you download.

Does it upload my photos?

No. Enhancement and color adjustments run on your iPhone or iPad. There’s no photo-processing server and no account.

Can it fix scratches, tears, or missing pieces?

No. The app improves clarity, resolution, yellow tint, and faded contrast. It does not repair physical damage or rebuild missing areas. For torn or badly scratched prints, a retouching tool or a professional restorer is the better fit; here are the options.

Will it colorize a black-and-white photo?

No. Black-and-white photos can be made clearer and higher-contrast, but they stay black and white. Colorization guesses at colors that weren’t recorded.

Is it really a one-time price?

Yes. It’s $3.99 in the U.S. App Store with no subscription, credits, or in-app purchases.

All questions and answers →

Guides

Get a better result from the photo you have.

All restoration guides →

See what’s still there in an old photo.

Try it on the faded print in the drawer. If the result isn’t better, the original is still exactly where you left it.

Download on theApp Store$3.99 once · iPhone & iPad