How to restore old photos with AI Gemini

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become an important tool in many fields today, and old photo restoration is one of the prominent applications. If in the past, restoring damaged photos had to rely on the skillful hands of editing experts, taking a lot of time and effort, now AI has helped shorten this process, while improving the quality of restoration.

 

We will guide you to restore old photos with Gemini following the steps below.

How to restore old photos with AI

Step 1: On your phone, use the Gemini app. If you don't have it, you can download it from the link below. Or you can also use the Gemini version on your mobile web browser.

You can select the Banana AI image generator to let Gemini recreate images for you better, then select the plus sign next to the chat box and choose the image source including from the Files app, Albums and capture directly from the Camera.

 

1. Download Gemini iOS
2. Download Gemini Android

 

Step 2: Take a photo first and save it to the album, then select the photo you want to restore. Next, copy the prompt below and paste it into the description and select the request icon for Gemini to restore the photo for you.

 

{ 'version': '1.0', 'task': 'image_edit', 'caption': 'Phục chế & nâng cấp ảnh cũ – giữ background gốc, màu điện ảnh, chuẩn Phase One XF IQ4 150MP', 'notes': 'Biến ảnh cũ (kể cả ảnh chụp lại) thành ảnh màu hiện đại, sạch tuyệt đối, giữ background gốc nhưng nâng cấp đẳng cấp như chụp mới. Ưu tiên bảo toàn danh tính và pose.', 'input_image': 'REPLACE_WITH_IMAGE_ID_OR_PATH', 'preprocess': { 'detect_and_isolate_original_photo': true, 'auto_crop_photo_edges': true, 'clean_edges': true, 'remove_hands_or_objects': true, 'perspective_correction': true, 'flatten_page_curvature': true, 'glare_reduction': 'strict', 'reflection_removal': 'strict', 'specular_highlight_fix': true }, 'camera_emulation': { 'brand_model': 'Phase One XF IQ4 150MP', 'lens': 'Schneider Kreuznach 80mm LS f/2.8', 'medium_format': true, 'look': 'ultimate sharpness, maximum dynamic range, medium format 3D pop, cinematic rendering' }, 'composition': { 'framing': 'three-quarter body (from mid-thigh up)', 'orientation': 'portrait', 'crop_policy': 'do_not_crop_face_or_hands', 'keep_pose': true, 'zoom': 'slight zoom-out for wider context' }, 'subject_constraints': { 'keep_identity': true, 'lock_features': ['eyes','nose','lips','eyebrows','jawline','face_shape','ears','hairline'], 'expression_policy': 'preserve_original' }, 'retouching': { 'skin': { 'tone': 'realistic warm neutral', 'finish': 'radiant but detailed', 'texture': 'retain fine pores; avoid plastic look', 'blemishes': 'remove completely', 'luminosity_balance': 'uniform subtle glow', 'color_uniformity': 'fix uneven tones' }, 'hair': { 'finish': 'clean, neat, natural gloss', 'flyaways': 'reduce but keep natural strands' }, 'eyes': { 'iris_color': 'natural brown/gray', 'whites_desaturation': 0.1, 'iris_clarity': 0.2, 'avoid_overwhitening': true, 'avoid_exaggeration': true }, 'teeth': { 'natural_whiten': 0.08, 'avoid_pure_white': true }, 'clothing': { 'fabric_look': 'premium, fine weave, crisp edges', 'wrinkle_reduction': 'moderate', 'texture_enhancement': 0.25 }, 'repair_cracks': 'strict', 'remove_dust_scratches': 'strict', 'remove_stains': 'strict', 'remove_folds': true, 'restore_faded_details': true }, 'colorization': { 'apply_to': 'entire_photo', 'style': 'cinematic, natural, true-to-life', 'skin_tone_accuracy': 'very_high', 'background_colorization': 'full, layered, realistic', 'clothing_colorization': 'faithful but premium', 'avoid_exaggeration': true }, 'background': { 'policy': 'preserve_and_enhance', 'keep_original': true, 'enhancement': { 'colorize': 'natural, true-to-life, cinematic color grading', 'restore_damage': true, 'texture_cleanup': 'remove paper grain and speckles completely', 'add_depth': 'studio gradient with layered tones and soft atmospheric haze', 'contrast_boost': 'medium-high with soft roll-off', 'dynamic_range': 'expanded like medium format', 'lighting_match': true }, 'remove_external_objects': true, 'banding_fix_on_background': true }, 'color_tone': { 'overall': 'natural, true-to-life', 'saturation': 'balanced vivid', 'contrast': 'medium with cinematic roll-off', 'vibrance': 0.2, 'color_restoration': 'revive faded colors, unify uneven tones, remove discoloration completely', 'auto_tone_balance': 'strict', 'auto_contrast_balance': true, 'recolorize_consistently': true }, 'detail_sharpness': { 'method': 'edge-aware sharpening', 'amount': 0.4, 'radius': 0.9, 'threshold': 0.02, 'noise_reduction': { 'luminance': 0.22, 'chroma': 0.26, 'preserve_details': 0.85 } }, 'clean_up': { 'remove_noise': true, 'remove_artifacts': true, 'remove_scratches': 'strict', 'remove_dust': 'strict', 'remove_stains': 'strict', 'remove_folds': true, 'deblotching': true, 'desilvering_fix': true, 'paper_texture_reduction': 'strong', 'restore_faded_colors': true, 'reconstruct_missing_parts': 'museum-grade', 'reconstruct_missing_corners': true, 'hallucination_control': 'only realistic restoration, no fantasy', 'heritage_preservation_strict': true, 'archival_quality': 'museum-grade restoration, pristine finish', 'final_finish': 'as new color studio photograph, indistinguishable from modern digital capture' }, 'controls': { 'face_identity_lock': 0.96, 'pose_lock': 0.95, 'background_enhancement_strength': 0.9, 'colorization_strength': 0.9, 'restoration_strength': 0.95, 'background_replace_strength': 0.0 }, 'output': { 'resolution': '12000×8000', 'dpi': 600, 'format': 'TIFF', 'color_space': 'AdobeRGB 1998', 'bit_depth': '16-bit', 'background_alpha': 'opaque' }, 'safety_bounds': { 'do_not': [ 'change face geometry or identity', 'change pose', 'alter clothing style drastically', 'add heavy makeup', 'over-smooth or plastic skin', 'over-sharpen halos', 'exaggerated eye colors' ], 'negative_prompt': [ 'paper grain', 'speckles', 'flat monochrome background', 'hands holding photo', 'photo edges visible', 'glare spots', 'crooked perspective', 'color casts', 'posterization/banding', 'muddy blacks', 'oversaturated skin', 'cartoonish colors', 'loss of fine texture', 'visible damage marks' ] }, 'seed': 142857, 'metadata': { 'locale': 'vi-VN', 'creator': 'fine art restoration specialist', 'purpose': 'phục chế & nâng cấp toàn ảnh lên chuẩn studio hiện đại, giữ nền gốc nhưng nâng cấp màu/độ sâu/dải sáng', 'workflow': 'studio emulation, medium format rendering, heritage restoration, cinematic color grading' } }

 

Step 3: Once the photo is restored by Gemini, you can add new requests, including removing more folds of the photo, changing the background, or changing the color of the outfit. If you want to change anything in the photo, give Gemini another command.

Step 4: If you want to restore another photo, you can upload it and ask Gemini to do the same. After restoring it, save the photo to your photo album.

 

Photo before Gemini restoration.

 

And here is the photo after Gemini restored it.

How does AI restore old photos?

First of all, AI has the ability to automatically analyze and recognize image details. When a photo is blurry, smudged, or underexposed, AI will learn from a huge database to predict and recreate facial features, clothing, or scenery appropriately. This is especially useful for old photos that are faded or have many scratches.

Second, AI supports natural and vivid coloring of black and white photos. While in the past this was entirely dependent on human imagination, now AI can rely on machine learning data to provide colors closer to reality. For example, skin color, hair color or clothing color will be suggested by AI more accurately, helping the photo feel more 'real'.

In addition, AI can also increase resolution (upscale) and restore small details. A small photo, when enlarged, often becomes blurry, but with AI, the details are reproduced softer and clearer. This is a strength that is difficult to achieve with manual editing.

However, the role of AI does not stop at saving time. More importantly, it opens up opportunities for many ordinary people, without deep expertise, to restore family memories themselves. With just a few operations on the phone or computer, AI has helped bring 'new life' to photos that seemed to have lost their value.

In short, AI is acting as a 'smart assistant' in restoring old photos. It helps to recreate memories faster, more accurately and more conveniently than ever before. However, human sensitivity and emotion are still needed to ensure that the restored photo is both beautiful and retains its original soul.