This free AI service upscales grainy photos into digital delights

These fancy-schmancy phones of ours sure can take some phenomenal photos, but you know what? That incredible quality also highlights just how awful our older images are in comparison.

I don’t know about you, but I’ve got tons of small-size, almost comically fuzzy old photos in my collection. And there’s not a heck of a lot the cutting-edge camera in my current phone can do to help ’em.

So what if there were a super-simple tool for sprucing up older images and bringing ’em into reasonably modern resolutions—while also making ’em crisper, clearer, and generally just better all around?

My fellow photo-finessing friend, have I got just the tool for you today.

Psst: If you love these types of tools as much as I do, check out my free Cool Tools newsletter from The Intelligence. You’ll be the first to find all sorts of incredible tech treasures!

From old to new, in no time

’Twas a time when trying to take an image and make it both larger and higher in quality was a near-impossible feat. If you somehow managed to pull it off, it’d take tons of time and complex programs to master.

➜ Not anymore. An incredibly cool new tool called Upscale makes it easy as can be to—well, upscale any old photo you’ve got in front of you.

⌚ You’ll only need about 10 seconds to do it, in fact:

  • Just open the Upscale website and hit the button to sign in. You can either use your Google account or create a new account on the site with any email address you want.
  • Once you’re signed in, hit the button to choose an image from your device. Or, if you’re using a computer, drag and drop an image directly from your desktop into the site.
  • Upscale will take a few seconds to process and will then give you a sized-up, cleaned-up version of your image at twice its original resolution.
Upscale enlarges and cleans up old photos with roughly 10 seconds of active effort.
  • You can then download the image, if you’d like—or you can click or tap a “Change resolution” option to switch to four or even eight times the original photo’s size.

And man, lemme tell ya: The results are something else. I’ve used the tool on a bunch of older images, including one of me dressed up as my namesake Ninja Turtle—as one does—many moons ago.

The image started out tiny and not exactly exceptional in quality, outside of the stunning splendor of the subject itself:

My old image, before Upscale touched it.

(Have I ever mentioned how much of an honor it is to have a warrior shellback named after me?)

After a couple of quick clicks on the Upscale site, the image transformed into something larger, less grainy, and generally just much more usable. Here’s the photo at four times its original size, with all the included enhancements:

The same exact photo, following Upscale’s four-time enlargement and associated enhancements.

Now, that’s one ravishing reptile.

  • Upscale is available on the web on any device—phone, computer, tablet, you name it.
  • It’s completely free to use, with a limit of a handful of upscales per email address per day.
  • The tool comes from a company called Sticker Mule, which creates stickers and other printed products. It’s a reputable organization, and it doesn’t do anything disconcerting with your data. Creating an account will result in your getting a few emails about the company’s services—from which you can easily unsubscribe—and that’s it.

Ready for even more life-enhancing goodness? Check out my free Cool Tools newsletter for an instant introduction to an AI-powered supertool that transcribes your brain—and another off-the-beaten-path gem every Wednesday!

<hr class=“wp-block-separator is-style-wide”/> https://www.fastcompany.com/91123120/free-online-image-upscaler-ai?partner=rss&amp;utm_source=rss&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_campaign=rss+fastcompany&amp;utm_content=rss

Created 1y | May 17, 2024, 10:20:05 AM


Login to add comment

Other posts in this group

How AI is transforming corporate finance

The role of the CFO is evolving—and fast. In today’s volatile business environment, finance leaders are navigating everything from unpredictable tariffs to tightening regulations and rising geopol

Jul 5, 2025, 1:10:03 PM | Fast company - tech
Want to move data between Apple and Google Maps? Try this  workaround

In June, Google released its newest smartphone operating system, Android 16. The same month, Apple previewed its next smartphone oper

Jul 5, 2025, 10:40:07 AM | Fast company - tech
Tally lets you design great free surveys in 60 seconds

This article is republished with permission from Wonder Tools, a newsletter that helps you discover the most useful sites and apps. 

Jul 4, 2025, 1:50:03 PM | Fast company - tech
How China is leading the humanoid robots race

I’ve worked at the bleeding edge of robotics innovation in the United States for almost my entire professional life. Never before have I seen another country advance so quickly.

In

Jul 4, 2025, 9:20:03 AM | Fast company - tech
‘There is nothing that Aquaphor will not fix’: The internet is in love with this no-frills skin ointment

Aquaphor has become this summer’s hottest accessory.

The no-frills beauty staple—once relegated to the bottom of your bag, the glove box, or a bedside drawer—is now dangling from

Jul 3, 2025, 11:50:07 PM | Fast company - tech
Is Tesla screwed?

Elon Musk’s anger over the One Big Beautiful Bill Act was evident this week a

Jul 3, 2025, 5:10:05 PM | Fast company - tech