Motion blur effects are the technique where you create illusions for movements on your photos. You do this by applying blurring effects on your pictures. For instance, you have a photo of someone running, or riding a bike, then use a blur effect behind the subject. You’ll be able to create unforgettable and dramatic effects on your pictures by using this technique. In this article, we’ve evaluated and compiled a list of the 10 best motion blur effect apps for iPhone.
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Top motion blur effect apps for iPhone | Best 10 picks
There are numerous applications available on the App Store that provide blurring effects. We’ve compiled the list of iPhone’s best motion blur effect apps, including photo editing and photo blurring apps.
Here’s the list of the best motion blur effect apps for iPhone:
- Picsart Photo & Video Editor
- AfterFocus
- Blur Photo Editor
- Snapseed
- Focus In Motion
- LongExpo
- PhotoToaster
- Slow Shutter Cam
- Blur Photo Background
- Blur Photo- Portrait Mode Blur
1. Blur Photo Editor
Price: Free (Offers In-App Purchases)
App Compatibility: iOS 11.0 or later
This app, as the name suggests, is a photo blurring app. Blur Photo Editor app offers a large collection of photo blur effects along with some amazing filters. It has a blur focus circle, whose area can be enlarged for accurate application of effects. So with just your fingertip, you can apply some incredible blur effects in your pictures on your iPhone.
Try the Blur Photo Editor if you want an app that will make your photos move. It is one of the best motion blur effect apps for the iPhone.
What we like:
- Multiple blurring effects -motion, point, basic, pixelate, etc.
- Blur background, objects, and faces of a picture
- Multiple photo filter effects
- Mini photo enhancement tools
What we didn’t like:
- The motion blur effect requires subscriptions
2. Picsart Photo & Video Editor
Price: Free (Offers In-App Purchases)
App Compatibility: iOS 12.0 or later
Picsart is a simple, easy-to-use photo and video editing app, perfect for use on your iPhone. It contains a plethora of functions, including some excellent blurring effects that allow you to enhance your pictures. So if you want your photo to have great motion effects, then this app is a very good choice.
This app also offers other blurring effects such as radial blur, background blur, lens blur, etc. You cannot exactly call Picsart a motion blur effect app. It also has other blurring effects and editing tools. However, these wide arrays of features make this app very popular among its users.
What we like:
- Trendy photo effects
- Large collection of blur effects
- Remove objects and backgrounds from pictures
- Massive collection of free images
- Create amazing photo collages
What we didn’t like:
- The motion blur effect is a premium feature
3. AfterFocus
Price: $0.99
App Compatibility: iOS 8.0 or later
When it comes to applying blurring effects on your pictures, AfterFocus is a great option. It is a dedicated photo effects app that offers almost every blur effect out there. You can apply your artistic creativity to your pictures on your iPhone with great results.
You can make parts of your image appear fluid by using the motion blur effect. In addition, you get a number of other features such as background blur, smart focus, photo filters, etc. Once you’ve applied your enhancement to your pictures, you can easily save and share them from your iPhone.
What we like:
- Multiple photo filter effects
- Auto-recognition of focus area
- Background blur or bokeh effects
- Get DSLR quality photo
What we didn’t like:
- Limited photo enhancement tools
- The app is not free to install
4. Snapseed
Price: Free
App Compatibility: iOS 12.4 or later
A free photo editing app, Snapseed is one of the best photo editing apps for iPhone. It offers a massive collection of tools and features for an app that is completely free. Although you don’t have a motion blur tool in this app, you can mimic its effects using Lens Blur and the Double exposure feature.
However, this process takes time and effort to give your picture a motion blur effect, but the results are incredible. In addition, you get a plethora of other tools and filters that can further enhance the beauty of your photo.
What we like:
- Completely free app
- Multiple tools and photo filters
- Blur background or remove objects
- Fuse multiple photos together
What we didn’t like:
- Getting used to it takes some time.
5. Focus In Motion
Price: $0.99
App Compatibility: iOS 8.0 or later
If you’re looking for a specialized motion blur effect app, then Focus In Motion is the one. This app has 12 different motion effects whose intensity and direction can be controlled. It offers two modes to create motion effect photos: the Cut mode and Draw mode.
With the Cut mode, you can use a preexisting focus shape (rectangular or ellipse) to rapidly apply the motion effect. In comparison, the Draw mode allows you to make the focus area with your finger in order to apply the motion effects.
What we like:
- 12 motion blur effects
- Control intensity and direction of the effects
- Custom and manual focus area selection
What we didn’t like:
- Lacks any photo editing features
6. LongExpo
Price: Free (Offers In-App Purchases)
App Compatibility: iOS 5.0 or later
LongExpo is different from most apps on this list as it is a camera app. Here instead of modifying photos from your iPhone, you would be capturing high-quality, long exposure pictures. You can then use the app’s motion gradient and freeze functions to get an amazing motion effect on your photo.
This app works with the iOS 5.0 or later model, which makes it compatible with some of the older iPhone models. LongExpo is the best choice for you to explore your photography skills.
What we like:
- Three shooting modes: Long Exposure, low light, and light trail mode
- Built-in photo editing features
- Beautiful motion trail effects
What we didn’t like:
- The user interface looks outdated
7. PhotoToaster
Price: $2.99
App Compatibility: iOS 8.0 or later
PhotoToaster is a full-fledged photo editing app with a massive selection of features. An impressive aspect of this app is that you can apply more than 60 photo effects with just a single tap. Some of these effects are blurring options such as background blur and motion effects.
You also get more than 80 editing tools, 26 slider controls to make accurate adjustments, multiple borders, and clever texture overlay designs. However, PhotoToaster is not a free app, but you can enjoy its vast features with just a one-time payment.
What we like:
- 60+ blur effects and filters
- 80+ editing & 26 slider adjustment tools
- Multiple texture overlay and border designs
What we didn’t like:
- Too many features increase its complexity
8. Slow Shutter Cam
Price: $1.99
App Compatibility: iOS 11.0 or later
Slow Shutter Cam, like LongExpo, is a camera app rather than a photo editing app. Using this app’s three shooting modes, you can get a DSLR-like experience with your iPhone camera. One of the modes is Motion Blur, where you can capture images that look like its moving. You’ll also get additional adjustable tools to enhance the motion effects of your photo, such as Blur Strength, shutter speed, or ISO.
So, if you want a decent motion blur effect app for your iPhone, then Slow Shutter Cam is one option. The two other modes are Low Light and Light Trail, which gives you some incredible images.
What we like:
- Capture amazing motion blur pictures
- Control the intensity of the blur
- Compatible with Apple watch
What we didn’t like:
- No photo editing tools
9. Blur Photo Background
Price: Free (Offers In-App Purchases)
App Compatibility: iOS 8.0 or later
With a collection of blur photo effects, including motion blur, Blur Photo Background has been added to this list. Don’t confuse this app with Blur Photo Editor, another photo blur effect app in this list. However, unlike the Blur Photo Editor, this app doesn’t have any photo editing features or filters.
When it comes to motion blur, the Blur Photo Background app excels with horizontal and vertical effects. So, for example, if you have a picture with a running person, you could use the horizontal motion blur. Or you could use the vertical motion effect for an image with a waterfall.
What we like:
- Simple and easy-to-use interface
- Vertical & horizontal motion blur effect
What we didn’t like:
- No photo filters or editing tools
10. Blur Photo- Portrait Mode Blur
Price: Free (Offers In-App Purchases)
App Compatibility: iOS 11.0 or later
If you’ve been hunting for an app that enables you to add breathtaking blur effects to your pictures, then Blur Photo is your answer. It is a photo blurring app with an amazing collection of blur effects and photo editing tools. So if you want to apply motion effect to give a blurry running aesthetic to your pictures, then you can do so with just a few single taps. However, in order to apply this motion blur effect to your pictures, you’d need to subscribe to the premium version of the app.
What we like:
- Amazing user interface
- Built-in photo filters & enhancement tools
- Lens blur effect along with other blur effects
What we didn’t like:
- You’d need to subscribe to unlock the motion blur effect
How to add motion blur to a photo on iPhone?
You’ll need blur effect apps if you want to apply motion blur effects to a current iPhone shot. They are mainly photo editing or photo blur apps. You could try the Picsart, AfterFocus, Blur Photo Editor, Snapseed, Focus In Motion, PhotoToaster, Blur Photo Background, or Blur Photo app for the motion blur effect. However, the only dedicated motion blur effect app for iPhone in this list is Focus In Motion. So if you’re only interested in applying motion effects to your pictures, this app offers 12 different motion blur options.
How to take motion blur photos on iPhone?
Capturing blurred motion photography is a challenging task for any photographer to master. You’d need long exposures with your iPhone camera to take motion blur photos. In this review, we’ve also included two camera app that offers motion blur effects for pictures, and they are LongExpo and Slow Shutter Cam. In addition, you can also capture long exposure photos using your iPhone’s Camer app. Here’s how to take motion blur photos on iPhone with the Camera app:
- Launch your iPhone’s Camera app
- On the “PHOTO” mode, tap on the “Live” icon to turn it on
- Next, with a steady hand, snap a photo and wait a few seconds after you’ve tapped the shutter icon
- After that, tap on the downward icon beside “LIVE” and select “Long Exposure”
- You now have a motion blur effect on your photograph because of the long exposure method
Wrapping up
Blurred motion photography adds creative value to your pictures as it is a very difficult skill to master. You can either capture motion blur photos or apply motion blur effects on a saved picture on your iPhone. This in-depth review of ours covers the best motion blur effect apps for your iPhone.
