Prompt Astra

Restore an Old Photo with AI for Free (ChatGPT, Before and After)

We took a faded 1920s studio portrait and asked free ChatGPT to restore it. Here is the prompt, the result, and what to watch out for.

Tested 12 October 2026 by Prompt Astra

Before
Faded 1920s studio portrait of an Indian couple

1920s studio portrait, public domain (Wikimedia Commons).

After
The same portrait restored and coloured by ChatGPT

Restored by ChatGPT's free plan, 12 October 2026.

How to do it

  1. Scan the old photo with your phone (flat, good light, no glare).

  2. Open ChatGPT, attach the photo with the + button.

  3. Paste this prompt and send it.

Is purani photo ko restore karo: daag aur scratches hatao, photo saaf aur sharp karo, aur natural colors bharo. Chehre, kapde aur pose bilkul mat badlo.

The catch

The colours are the AI's guess. In our test the pose and faces stayed close to the original, but details the old photo never showed, like the colour of the jewellery stones, were filled in by the AI. Lovely for a family album; not a historical record. Keep the original too.

Only use photos you have the right to use, and remove anything personal before sharing them with any AI.

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