Can AI really rebuild the eyes hidden behind the glare?

Yes. When a reflection covers part of the lens, the eye behind it is missing from the photo, so the AI reconstructs it based on the visible eye, the face and how eyes normally sit. On mild-to-moderate glare this is convincing. If both lenses are completely whited out, treat the result as a very good reconstruction rather than a recovered detail.

Will my eyes still look like mine?

For partial glare, yes; there's usually enough of the eye and the other side to guide an accurate rebuild. The more of the eye the glare hides, the more the AI is inferring, so keep expectations honest on severe, full-lens reflections.

Does it work on sunglasses too?

Reflections on sunglasses (a window, the photographer, a bright sky) can be removed, but the eyes behind dark lenses were never captured, so opening them up is more interpretation than recovery. Clear prescription glasses give the most faithful results.

What causes lens glare in the first place?

A light source (flash, window, overhead light) bouncing off the lens toward the camera. Tilting the glasses down slightly or moving the light off-axis prevents it, but when it's already in the shot, the fix is now one step.

How to Remove Glare and Reflections from Glasses in a Photo

A great photo, ruined by two white blobs where someone's eyes should be. Here's how AI removes glare and reflections from glasses and brings the eyes back, naturally.

A portrait of someone in glasses with lens glare removed to reveal the eyes

You know the photo. The whole group looks great, the moment is real, and one person is wearing two little white rectangles where their eyes should be. Glasses catch light, light bounces into the lens, and the most expressive part of a face vanishes behind a reflection. It’s one of the most common and most frustrating ways a good portrait gets quietly ruined.

The reflection feels permanent because the eyes really are gone from the photo. But they can be rebuilt, and convincingly.

Why glare is worse than a normal blemish

Most photo problems sit on the image. Glare removes information: where the reflection is, the eye simply wasn’t recorded. That’s why you can’t fix it by darkening or dodging that spot; there’s nothing underneath to reveal. You’re not cleaning a smudge off a window, you’re replacing the part of the window that turned into a mirror.

What the Photos app can’t do here

Exposure, highlights and brightness sliders act on the whole image. Pull the highlights down and the bright reflection gets a little duller, but it stays a grey patch over the eye, and everything else gets darker with it. Sliders can tone glare down. They cannot put an eye back, because they have no idea an eye belongs there.

How AI glare removal actually works

The model recognizes the face, the glasses and where the eyes should be. Where a reflection covers a lens, it reconstructs the eye behind it, taking cues from the visible eye, the angle of the face and how eyes normally look, then blends it back so the glasses still read as glass. The reflection disappears and the gaze returns, matched to the person.

To do it in Editable:

Get the app (free to start) and open the Explore tab.
Find Remove glare under Remove and tap Try.
Pick the photo. The glare on the lenses is cleared and the eyes are rebuilt in seconds.

If the same photo also has a harsh flash look, follow up with Fix harsh shadows for softer, more even light across the face.

Setting honest expectations

Partial glare on clear glasses: excellent. A reflection over part of the lens clears and the eye comes back accurately.
Strong glare, most of the lens: very good. Convincing, with more of the eye inferred than recovered.
Fully whited-out lenses or dark sunglasses: creative. You’ll get open, natural eyes, but read them as a faithful reconstruction, not the exact eyes the glare hid.

The quick win

Group photos, family gatherings and any indoor shot with flash are where this pays off most, one person’s glasses no longer costing the whole picture. And next time, a tiny tilt of the frames downward keeps the light out of the lens entirely.

Frequently asked

Can AI really rebuild the eyes hidden behind the glare?: Yes. When a reflection covers part of the lens, the eye behind it is missing from the photo, so the AI reconstructs it based on the visible eye, the face and how eyes normally sit. On mild-to-moderate glare this is convincing. If both lenses are completely whited out, treat the result as a very good reconstruction rather than a recovered detail.
Will my eyes still look like mine?: For partial glare, yes; there's usually enough of the eye and the other side to guide an accurate rebuild. The more of the eye the glare hides, the more the AI is inferring, so keep expectations honest on severe, full-lens reflections.
Does it work on sunglasses too?: Reflections on sunglasses (a window, the photographer, a bright sky) can be removed, but the eyes behind dark lenses were never captured, so opening them up is more interpretation than recovery. Clear prescription glasses give the most faithful results.
What causes lens glare in the first place?: A light source (flash, window, overhead light) bouncing off the lens toward the camera. Tilting the glasses down slightly or moving the light off-axis prevents it, but when it's already in the shot, the fix is now one step.

Try it on your own photo

Editable is free to start — edits take seconds, no editing skills needed.

Get Editable on the App Store