Blur and Pixelate Image
Hide faces, number plates and private text before sharing: drag boxes or ovals and pixelate, blur or black them out. Runs in your browser, strips EXIF.
The interactive tool loads here when JavaScript runs.
About this toolWhat is the Blur and Pixelate Image tool?
Drag a box over anything you want to hide, such as a face, a number plate, a name tag or an account number in a screenshot, and it is pixelated straight away. Each area can use pixelation, a smooth blur or a solid box, and can be a rectangle or an oval for faces. Add as many areas as you need, then download the edited image.
Only the inside of each area is read and changed. The blur is computed from pixels inside the box, so it cannot drag hidden detail outward, and pixelation replaces every block with its average colour. The strength slider sets the block size or blur radius in image pixels, starting at about 1/40 of the shorter side.
The picture never leaves your browser. The saved file holds only the edited pixels, so the original detail is gone and EXIF data such as GPS coordinates and camera serial numbers are not included.
- Pixelate, blur or solid fill per area
- Rectangle and oval shapes for text and faces
- Unlimited areas with undo, per-area effect and removal
- Strength in image pixels, defaulting to the image size
- Effects read only inside each area, nothing leaks outward
- Browser-only; the saved file has no EXIF or GPS data
How to use the Blur and Pixelate Image tool
- Choose an image or drop it on the box. The sample photo starts with its plate label already pixelated.
- Pick the effect for new areas (Pixelate, Blur or Solid box) and the shape (Rectangle or Oval).
- Drag on the picture to add an area. Repeat for every detail you want hidden.
- Adjust the strength. Larger blocks or radius hide more. Change any area's effect from the list, or remove it.
- Choose PNG, JPEG or WebP and download. Dashed outlines are guides only and are not saved.
Worked examples
Number plate in a street photo
Input
4000 x 3000 photo, rectangle over the plate, Pixelate, default strength
Output
75 px blocks over the plate
The default is 1/40 of the 3000 px short side. At that size each character becomes one or two flat blocks.
Faces in a group shot
Input
Oval areas over three faces, Blur, radius 40 px
Output
Smoothly blurred ovals with untouched surroundings
Ovals follow the shape of a head, so less of the background is softened than with rectangles.
Bank details in a screenshot
Input
Rectangle over the account number, Solid box, black
Output
Opaque black bar
Text is the case where pixelation can be reversed by guessing. A solid box replaces the pixels completely.
Background and insight
Pixelation (mosaic) divides an area into square blocks and paints each block with its mean colour. Blur replaces every pixel with a weighted average of its neighbours; this tool runs three passes of a box blur, which closely approximates a Gaussian blur. Both remove detail, but neither removes all information: the averages still depend on what was underneath.
That matters for text. In 2020 the open-source tool Depix showed that pixelated text in screenshots can sometimes be recovered by rendering candidate characters in the same font, pixelating them the same way and matching the blocks. Researchers have also deblurred weakly blurred numbers and faces. Large blocks and strong blur defeat most attempts, but for passwords, card numbers, addresses and anything else made of text, a solid box is the only method that leaves nothing to reverse.
Hidden pixels are only one way an image leaks. Photos carry EXIF metadata, including GPS location when the camera recorded it, and screenshots can show notification previews, browser tabs, reflections and the corners of other windows. Re-encoding through a canvas, as this tool does, writes a new file without the original metadata.
Common use cases
Sharing street and event photos
Hide faces of bystanders, children and number plates before posting publicly.
Bug reports and support tickets
Black out emails, tokens, customer names and account numbers in screenshots.
Selling items online
Remove serial numbers, addresses on parcels and family photos in the background of listing pictures.
Journalism and research
Protect sources and participants in images that accompany articles or reports.
Tips and limitations
- Use Solid box for any text you truly need hidden. Pixelation and blur are fine for faces and scenery but are not redaction for text.
- Make blocks large. A block should be at least as big as one character or a facial feature; small mosaics look censored but reveal shapes.
- Cover a little more than the detail itself so edges of letters and outlines of faces do not peek out.
- Check reflections, shadows and second copies of the same detail, such as a name shown in two places in a screenshot.
- Save as PNG for screenshots. JPEG artefacts are harmless here but PNG keeps solid boxes crisp.
- Remember that people can sometimes be recognised by clothing, tattoos or context even with a blurred face.
Frequently asked questions
Is it better to blur or pixelate faces?
Both work for faces if the effect is strong. Use large pixel blocks or a blur radius of at least a few percent of the face width. Ovals look more natural than rectangles.
Can pixelated text be unpixelated?
Sometimes. Tools such as Depix recover text from pixelated screenshots by matching blocks against rendered guesses, which works best on small blocks and known fonts. Use a solid box for passwords, numbers and addresses.
Does the original detail stay in the file?
No. The image is redrawn and the hidden pixels are replaced before saving. There are no layers or undo history in the downloaded file.
Is my image uploaded?
No. Everything is processed by your browser on your device.
Does this remove GPS location from my photo?
Yes. The saved image is a new file containing only pixels, so EXIF tags including GPS coordinates are not copied from the original.
How do I blur a number plate in a photo?
Load the photo, choose Pixelate or Blur, drag a rectangle a little larger than the plate, raise the strength until no characters are readable, and download.
Why not just draw over it in a phone editor?
That works if the editor flattens the image. Some apps and PDF tools keep the original underneath as a separate layer, and markup with a semi-transparent pen can still show the text. This tool always writes flat pixels.
Is there an in-depth guide to the Blur and Pixelate Image tool?
Yes. “Blur, Pixelate or Black Box? Hiding Private Details in Images” covers the background, how it works, common pitfalls and worked examples. Read the full guide.
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