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Everyday guide 4 min read

Bring your old family photos back to life

Scratched, faded or torn, those photos in the shoebox can look good again. Upload a photo, tell the AI what to fix, and in seconds you have a cleaned-up copy while your original stays as it was.

By the chatmodel team, tested in the app Try Nano Banana Pro
An old, cracked wedding photo next to the same photo restored and colored in chatmodel

Messages you can use right now

Press “Try this” and chatmodel opens with the message already written. Change the details in brackets and send it.

Full restoration

“Restore this old photo: remove the scratches, dust and creases, fix the faded areas, and keep the faces exactly as they are. Don't change the clothes, the background or the composition.”

Try this

Add natural color

“Colorize this black and white photo with natural, realistic colors that fit the era it was taken in. Keep the faces, expressions and every detail exactly the same. Skin tones should look real, not orange.”

Try this

Restore and colorize

“Restore this old photo: remove the scratches and creases, keep the faces exactly as they are, and add natural color. The photo is from around [decade, e.g. the 1950s] in [country], so keep the clothes and colors true to that time.”

Try this

Fix a torn photo

“This photo is torn and has a missing piece at the [top / bottom / corner]. Repair the tear and fill in the missing area so it blends in naturally. Don't change anything else in the picture, especially the people.”

Try this

Sharpen a blurry face

“Make this old photo sharper and clearer, especially the face of the [person, e.g. woman on the left]. Keep their features exactly as they are: don't make them look younger, thinner or different. Keep the original grain so it still looks like an old photo.”

Try this

Fix faded colors

“The colors in this photo from the [decade, e.g. 1970s] have faded and turned yellow or red. Bring back natural, balanced colors as they would have looked when it was taken, without making it look like a modern photo.”

Try this

How to restore an old photo with AI

  1. Get a good copy of the photo. Scan it, or photograph it with your phone in daylight, straight on and without flash. The clearer the copy, the better the result.
  2. Upload it on chatmodel’s Image page. Open the Image page and add your photo. The “Try this” buttons above open it with the model and the message ready.
  3. Pick what you want to fix. Start with “full restoration”. Add color afterwards if you want it.
  4. Send it and look closely. Zoom in on the faces. They matter most.
  5. Ask for small changes. If something is off, say what: “keep the original background”, “less smooth skin”, “the colors are too bright”.
  6. Download your favorite. Keep the original too. It’s part of your family history.

Tips for the best results

One job at a time works better. For badly damaged photos, first ask to fix the scratches, then ask for color on the result.

Say what to keep. “Keep the faces exactly as they are” is the most useful sentence you can write.

Give it context for color. The decade, the country, and anything you remember, like “the car was red”.

Don’t overdo it. A restored photo should still look old. Ask it to keep the grain if the result looks too modern.

What to watch out for

AI fills in what it can’t see. On very damaged photos it may invent small details, like a button or a hairline. That’s fine for a frame on the wall, but it’s not a historical record. Look carefully before you print or share, and keep the original.

Nano Banana Pro is good at this kind of edit. Read more on the Nano Banana Pro page, or see how image models compare in the best AI image generator guide.

Frequently asked questions

Will the AI change my relative's face?

It tries to keep faces as they are, especially if you ask for it, as the messages above do. Still, look closely at the result. If a face looks different, try again or ask for a lighter touch.

Is my original photo changed?

No. The AI makes a new copy. Your uploaded photo stays as it was.

How do I get the old photo onto my computer or phone?

A scanner gives the best result. If you don't have one, take a photo of it with your phone in daylight, straight on, without flash to avoid glare.

Are the added colors the real ones?

No one can know the real colors of a black and white photo. The AI makes a believable guess. If you remember that grandma's dress was blue, say so in your message.

Which model is best for restoring photos?

We open this guide with Nano Banana Pro because it's very good at keeping people looking like themselves. You can switch to another image model on the same page and compare.

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