Quick answer: if a screenshot got small or soft after being shared, crop it to the part you need and run Upscale; try Sharpen if it is full size but slightly soft. If the text cannot be read in the original, do not trust any enhanced version to show the right words.
Why screenshots get soft
Messaging apps and social networks shrink and recompress images. A screenshot forwarded a few times can lose most of its resolution and pick up blocky compression artifacts around text.
A workflow that helps
- Find the least-compressed copy you have, ideally the original.
- Crop to the area you need in Photos.
- Open it in Local Photo Upscaler and choose Upscale if it is small, or Sharpen if it is full size but soft.
- Compare at the same zoom level, and save only if it is easier to read.
An AI upscaler predicts plausible shapes. When letters are only a few pixels tall, it may produce crisp characters that are not what the original said. Never rely on an enhanced screenshot for numbers, names, or anything legal or financial.
Why process screenshots on device
Screenshots often contain messages, receipts, account pages, and addresses. Local Photo Upscaler enhances them locally, with no account and no upload.