Transform old black-and-white photos with Aura’s in-app Colorizer feature

By Aura | July 26, 2022

Not all memories were captured on our phones. Decades of old, precious photos sit in boxes and storage closets, waiting to be enjoyed by the whole family. Aura’s most recent app updates aim to make it even easier to archive and display these memories on Aura frames. The first update included the in-app photo scanner, and now Aura has added Colorizer: an AI-powered photo editing feature built directly into the Aura app.

Available to Aura iOS users with the latest software update, the new in-app Colorizer allows you and your loved ones to transform black-and-white and sepia-toned photographs into vibrant, color-saturated images.

Colorizer breathes new life into old memories, allowing you to see the past in a new light

Give your old, black and white photos new life in just a few steps:

  1. Add the photo to your frame using the Aura app: Upload your black-and-white or sepia-toned photos directly in the app, with the web uploader for desktop, or Aura’s in-app scanner if you don’t already have a digital copy of the photo.

  2. Select the photo and tap the colorizer icon on the image: The app recognizes when a black and white or sepia-toned photo has been added. Tap the Colorizer icon in the upper left corner - three interlocking circles - and watch your photos transform.

  3. Add date and location: If desired, add date/location information, crop your photo, or download it directly to your phone’s library.

  4. Share and display: Add the eye-catching image to a loved ones’ - or your own - frame, and share it with family and friends in the Aura app.

Machine learning designed to help you and your loved ones stay present

The transformation may seem like magic, but it’s actually artificial intelligence. Aura’s AI is trained from various historical images, such as nature landscapes, portraits of people, and even in-motion images to determine which colors will bring your photo to life in the most realistic fashion. The colorization process happens locally on your phone or tablet to produce a thumbnail version for review and the final image is processed through the cloud. The Colorizer is accessible from directly within the Aura app, making it even easier to display your favorite photos your way.

Thanks to software, the Aura experience just keeps getting better

With a growing collection of in-app features, the Aura experience continues to make it easy to enjoy your favorite memories every single day. Aura’s in-app scanner allows you to transport your old, analog photographs into digital copies, and Colorizer adds to the magic by saturating older images with color. When both in-app features are used together, your fading, black-and-white memories can be preserved and enjoyed in vivid color.