Free tool · nothing uploaded
Black and white photo converter
Choose a photo, pick a look, download the black and white version. It runs entirely in your browser — free, no sign-up, no watermark.
Your photo never leaves this device. It is converted by your browser, and nothing is uploaded.
How to use it
Three steps, under a minute
1. Choose a photo. Any JPEG or PNG from your phone or computer. It opens in this page; nothing is sent anywhere.
2. Pick a look. Plain removes the color and nothing else. Red filter lightens skin and darkens skies, then sets a true black and white — the best choice for people. High contrast is bolder, for photos with strong light.
3. Download. You get a full-size JPEG, up to 4096 pixels on the longest side, and your original is untouched.
Want to do it on your phone instead, or get more control over contrast? The guide how to make a picture black and white covers iPhone, Android, Mac, Windows and free editors step by step.
Converter questions
Questions people actually ask.
Is this black and white converter free?
Yes. There is no sign-up, no watermark and no limit. The conversion runs in your web browser, so it costs nothing to run and there is nothing to charge for.
Is my photo uploaded anywhere?
No. Your browser opens the file, converts it on the page and saves the result to your device. The photo is never sent to a server, which you can confirm by turning off your internet connection after the page has loaded — the converter still works.
Which setting should I use for a portrait?
Red filter. It makes skin and warm tones lighter and skies and shadows darker, then sets a true black and a true white. It is the classic choice for faces. Plain keeps the photo exactly as it was minus the color, which often looks flat.
Why does a plain black and white version look gray and flat?
Removing color keeps only brightness, and colors that look very different — a red shirt against green grass — can have almost the same brightness. They turn into the same gray. A color filter and set black and white points restore the separation.
What size is the downloaded photo?
The same size as your photo, up to 4096 pixels on the longest side. Larger photos are reduced to that size before converting, and the page tells you when it has done so. The download is a high-quality JPEG.
Can it open iPhone photos?
JPEG and PNG open in every browser. iPhone HEIC photos open in Safari; in other browsers, export the photo as JPEG first, or set the iPhone camera to save in Most Compatible format.
Not the same thing
A filter versus a studio portrait
A converter changes the color and nothing else: the background, the light and the arrangement stay as they were. A studio-style portrait changes those too. If that is what you are after, see a black and white family portrait from a photo.