SMUDGE Support
Need help with SMUDGE Video & Photo Face Blur?
Email: contact@skylarks.io
We reply within two business days. To help us help you faster, include your device (for example iPhone 16 Pro, iPad Air, MacBook Air), the iOS, iPadOS or macOS version, the app version (Settings in SMUDGE, under the SMUDGE card), and what you did right before the problem. Please do not send private photos or videos unless you are comfortable sharing them.
Privacy
Do my photos and videos leave my device?
No. Finding faces, heads and number plates, the blur itself and saving all run on your iPhone, iPad or Mac. Nothing is uploaded, there is no account, and SMUDGE works offline.
Why does SMUDGE ask for Photos access?
Only to save. Picking a photo or video uses Apple's photo picker, so SMUDGE sees just the item you choose and never your whole library. When you save, iOS asks for "Add Photos Only" permission so the covered copy can go into Photos.
Why is the preview blank in my screenshot or screen recording?
SMUDGE hides the photo or video from screenshots, screen recordings and screen sharing while you edit, so the uncovered original cannot leak that way. Save the covered copy and share that instead.
What data do you collect?
Anonymous usage counts (for example "a video was saved"), processed by Mixpanel in the EU. Never your media, names, faces or anything that identifies you. Purchases are handled by Apple. Details: Privacy Policy.
What SMUDGE covers
What does SMUDGE detect?
Faces, heads (including the back of a head and people turned away) and number plates. People and plates are separate switches, so you can cover only faces, faces and heads, only plates, or both. Pets and other animals are left alone.
SMUDGE missed someone or covered something it should not. What do I do?
Tap Edit under the preview.
Photos: tap a cover to remove it, tap again to bring it back, or tap Add cover and drag it over anything that was missed. Resize it from the corner.
Videos: the timeline opens under the video. Tap a blur on the video or its bar to select it, then Remove it, or stop it From here or Before here the playhead. Tap Add blur here for anything missed and drag it along as the person moves; each move adds a keyframe and the blur follows in between. Tap Done to finish that blur and add the next one. Undo and redo are next to the play button.
Very small or distant faces, heavily blurred or dark footage, and plates seen at a steep angle are the hardest. Check the result with the eye button before you save.
Can I change how the cover looks?
Yes: soft blur or pixelate, oval or rectangle, plus Margin (how much extra area around each face is covered) and Strength. Settings → Default blur sets what every new photo or video starts with.
Can I compare with the original?
Tap the eye button above the preview to switch between the covered and the original view. The "Original" badge shows which one you are looking at.
Videos
How long does a video take?
SMUDGE looks at every part of the video, so the time grows with its length and resolution; expect up to about twice the length of the clip. Keep SMUDGE open while it works; the screen stays on by itself and a progress bar shows how far it is.
Is the sound kept?
Yes. Audio is copied across untouched and only the covered areas of each frame change.
Which size should I save?
Tap Save to see every size with its dimensions and an estimated file size. Original keeps the full resolution; 1080p, 720p or 480p are smaller, faster to save and easier to send. Sizes are estimates.
Which files can I open?
Photos and videos from your library or Files that iOS can play: JPEG, HEIC, PNG, MOV and MP4 (H.264 and HEVC). If a video is stored only in iCloud, Photos downloads it first, which can take a moment.
Saving and the Gallery
Where does my covered copy go?
Into Photos, as a new item, and into the Gallery tab inside SMUDGE. Your original is never changed.
Saving failed.
Check that SMUDGE may add photos (Settings → Privacy & Security → Photos → SMUDGE → Add Photos Only) and that the device has free storage. Long videos at Original size need the most space.
Is the Gallery backed up?
No. The Gallery stays only on this device and is not included in iCloud backups. Removing an item from the Gallery, or Settings → Gallery → Clear, does not touch the copy in Photos.
Free and Pro
What can I do for free?
Everything except saving: pick any photo or video, see what SMUDGE finds, edit every cover on the timeline and try every look. Free previews carry a "SMUDGE · PREVIEW" watermark. The two examples on the home screen (a New York street photo and a crosswalk video) can be saved for free without a watermark.
What does SMUDGE Pro unlock?
Saving photos and videos without a watermark, at full quality or any smaller size. $19.99 a year or $49.99 once for lifetime access (prices shown in your local currency before you pay).
Does Pro work on my other devices?
Yes. Buy once and Pro unlocks on iPhone, iPad and Mac signed in with the same Apple Account. On a new device, open Settings in SMUDGE and tap Restore purchases.
How do I restore a purchase?
Settings in SMUDGE → Restore purchases, signed in with the Apple Account that made the purchase.
How do I cancel the yearly plan?
iPhone or iPad: Settings → your name → Subscriptions → SMUDGE Pro → Cancel Subscription. Mac: App Store → your name → Account Settings → Subscriptions → Manage. Pro stays active until the end of the period you paid for. Lifetime is a one-time purchase and has nothing to cancel.
How do I get a refund?
Refunds are handled by Apple at reportaproblem.apple.com.
Devices and languages
Which devices are supported?
iPhone and iPad with iOS / iPadOS 18 or later, and Mac with macOS 15 or later.
Which languages does SMUDGE support?
English, German, Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese (Brazil) and Polish. SMUDGE follows your device language; on iPhone you can change it in Settings → Apps → SMUDGE → Language.
Can I use dark mode?
Yes. SMUDGE follows your device by default; Settings → Appearance switches between Automatic, Light and Dark.
Something else
"Face detection is not available on this device right now."
The on-device detector could not start, so nothing was changed. Close SMUDGE fully (swipe it away), open it again and retry. If it keeps happening, restart the device and email us your device model and system version.
"Couldn't open that file."
The item may be a format iOS cannot decode, or an iCloud item that could not be downloaded. Open it once in Photos to download it, then try again.
Still stuck? Email contact@skylarks.io. Terms of Use: skylarks.io/apps/smudge/terms-of-service