TL;DR
What did April Steger use ChatGPT for?
Without a scanner or editing skills, a creator photographed two damaged family prints with their phone, asked ChatGPT 'Can you restore this old photo?', then compared each result with the original and asked it to undo a change it made on its own. ChatGPT cleaned up the creases and sharpened the faces and clothing, giving them versions of photos they had honestly given up on.
What they did
One print had a deep crease through it; the other had glare across the top and faces that were barely visible. They didn't scan them, just took phone photos of the prints and typed one request: 'Can you restore this old photo?' They then compared each AI version with the original and, where something had changed, told ChatGPT to put it back and ran a couple more revisions.
How it went
ChatGPT cleaned up the creases and sharpened the faces and clothing, giving them versions of photos they had honestly given up on.
Worth knowing
- AI takes creative liberties: in one photo it changed their dad's raised arm without being asked. Always compare the result against the original, and keep the original print and scan.
- Price check: ChatGPT: free plan; Go: US$8/month (checked Nov 1, 2026).
Paying for ChatGPT? See cheaper ChatGPT alternatives.
Try it yourself
Paste this into a chatbot, then add your own details underneath.
Can you restore this old photo? Remove the crease, scratches and glare, and sharpen the faces and clothing, but don't change anyone's pose, expression, hair, clothing or the background. Keep it looking like a real photo from [decade]. After that, list anything you changed beyond repairing damage.
Original post
See April Steger's original post on YouTube → (Sep 17, 2026)
Sources
- April Steger on YouTube, Sep 17, 2026 — the original post
- ChatGPT pricing — checked Nov 1, 2026