Local Photo RestoreHow to digitize a family photo album with your iPhone
Set up one well-lit spot, capture every print once without glare, sort and name the captures in a Photos album, then enhance only the faded or soft ones as new copies. Back up the untouched captures first. An iPhone camera is enough for most snapshots; use a flatbed scanner or scanning service for large or precious prints.
1. Set up a capture station
- A table near a window with indirect daylight, or two lamps at 45° angles on either side.
- A matte dark or neutral background (a sheet of black card works).
- Clean, dry hands or cotton gloves; a soft brush for dust.
- Optional: a simple stand to keep the phone parallel. A stack of books with the phone lying across it is fine.
2. Capture each print once, carefully
Follow the print photography checklist: phone parallel, no reflections, tap to focus, several shots of important prints. For prints stuck in magnetic albums, photograph them in place rather than prying them loose.
If glare from glossy prints is a constant problem, Google’s free PhotoScan app combines several shots to reduce glare. It hasn’t been updated since 2022 but still runs.
3. Record what you know, now
Photograph the back of any print with handwriting. Add names, places, and approximate years to the caption in Photos while the album is open and relatives are around to ask. This is often the most valuable part of the whole project.
4. Sort into an album and back up
Put the captures into a Photos album named for the source (for example, “Grandma’s album, 1960s”). Make sure iCloud Photos or another backup has them before you start editing.
5. Restore the ones that need it
Most prints only need cropping. For faded, yellowed, or small ones, open them in Local Photo Restore: Enhance for clarity, then Auto Fix or the Remove Yellow Tint and Restore Contrast sliders. Compare, pinch in on faces, and save. The app adds a new copy and leaves the capture alone. See judging yellow tint and faded color.
6. Share thoughtfully
Share restored copies in a shared album, and keep the untouched captures in your archive. Label restored copies so future relatives know which is which.
When to use a scanning service instead
Thousands of prints, slides, and negatives, or fragile and valuable originals, are often better handled by a scanning service or a flatbed scanner at 600 dpi or more. You can still restore selected results on your iPhone afterward.
Local Photo Restore costs $3.99 once in the U.S. App Store, with no subscription or in-app purchases. iPhone and iPad, iOS or iPadOS 18.2 or later.