Mosaic any detail in seconds
Pixelate Image
Turn faces, text and licence plates into square mosaic blocks, or pixelate a whole picture for a retro 8-bit look. Choose the block size, draw your areas and download. The image never leaves your device.
Drop an image here, paste it, or open a file
JPG, PNG, WebP, GIF, BMP or AVIF. The image stays on your device.
What does it mean to pixelate an image?
Pixelating an image, also called a mosaic effect, replaces each block of pixels with a single average colour. The bigger the blocks, the less detail survives. News broadcasts use this effect to hide faces, and it's the standard way to obscure licence plates and on-screen text.
This pixelate tool lets you pick the pixel size, apply the mosaic to rectangles, ellipses or freehand brush strokes, and export the result at full resolution. It runs entirely in your browser, which makes it safe for screenshots and personal photos.
How to pixelate an image online
- 1
Open your image
Choose Open image, drop a file on the editor or paste a screenshot with Ctrl/⌘ + V. JPG, PNG, WebP, GIF, BMP and AVIF are supported.
- 2
Choose the effect
Pixelate is already selected. Move the Pixel size slider to set how large each block is. Larger blocks hide more detail.
- 3
Draw over the areas
Drag a rectangle or ellipse, or paint with the brush. Add as many areas as you need. Click an area to change or delete it.
- 4
Check and download
Press and hold “Hold to see original” to compare, then download as PNG, JPG or WebP at full resolution, or copy the result to the clipboard.
Benefits of blurring images in your browser
- Private by design
- Your photo is decoded, edited and exported locally. It is never uploaded, so screenshots of bank statements or ID cards stay on your device.
- Precise, flexible selections
- Draw rectangles for text, ellipses for faces and brush strokes for irregular shapes. Each area keeps its own effect and strength.
- Full-resolution output
- Export at the original size as PNG, JPG or WebP, with quality control for lossy formats. There is no watermark.
- Fast on phones and laptops
- Effects are GPU-accelerated canvas filters. Nothing needs to be installed, and it works with touch.
Choosing the right pixel size
- Faces in group photos: 30–50 is usually enough to prevent recognition at normal viewing size.
- Text, emails and numbers: 60 or more, so each block spans at least one or two characters.
- Retro pixel-art effect on a whole photo: 10–25, then use Whole image.
- Always check the result at 100% zoom. Small, high-contrast text is the hardest to hide.
Common uses
- Screenshots for support tickets
- Hide email addresses, API keys, order numbers and customer names before you post a screenshot.
- Social media and marketplaces
- Blur faces of bystanders, children or house numbers before you publish a photo or listing.
- Documents and IDs
- Redact passport numbers, dates of birth and signatures in photos of documents you need to share.
- Vehicles and dashcam footage
- Pixelate licence plates in car photos, accident reports and street scenes.
- Portraits and product shots
- Use Outside shapes mode to blur a busy background and keep the subject in focus.
- Spoilers and puzzles
- Pixelate an answer or a spoiler so people can reveal it later by opening the original.
How to hide sensitive information safely
Light blur and small pixel blocks can sometimes be reversed or guessed, especially for short, predictable text such as card numbers, dates and licence plates. Research has shown that low-strength mosaics can be matched against candidate text.
- For passwords, account numbers, addresses and ID numbers, use Solid box. It replaces the pixels completely.
- If you prefer a softer look, use Pixelate with a pixel size of 60 or more, so each block covers several characters.
- Cover the whole value, including the edges of the characters. Partial redaction can still reveal the number of digits.
- Check the downloaded file, not just the preview, before you share it. This tool saves a new image, so the original pixels and EXIF metadata are not included.
How this tool compares with other online blur tools
We tested the image blur and pixelate tools that rank on Google's first page. Most are good at one job: blurring a whole photo, pixelating a rectangle or selling a larger editor. Several upload your photo to a server for processing. This tool puts the privacy-focused features in one place.
| Feature | This tool | Typical online tools |
|---|---|---|
| Image stays on your device | Yes, processed in your browser | Often processed on a server |
| Blur, pixelate and solid box in one image | Yes, set per area | Usually one effect at a time |
| Rectangle, ellipse and freehand brush | All three | Usually rectangle only |
| Blur the background, keep the subject sharp | Yes (Outside shapes mode) | Sometimes, in a separate tool |
| Undo, redo and before/after view | Yes | Varies |
| Account, watermark or size limit | None | Some cap file size or add a watermark |
| EXIF location data removed on export | Yes | Rarely mentioned |
5 frequently asked questions about pixelating images
How do I pixelate part of an image?
Open the image, make sure Inside shapes is active, then drag a rectangle or ellipse, or use the brush over the part you want to pixelate. Adjust Pixel size until the details are unreadable.
Can I pixelate the whole image?
Yes. Choose Whole image to add an area that covers the full picture. Lower pixel sizes give a stylised 8-bit look. Higher sizes make the image an abstract mosaic.
Can pixelation be reversed?
Pixelation throws away detail, so the original can't be recovered exactly. Small blocks on predictable text can sometimes be guessed by comparing candidates. Use large blocks or Solid box for anything sensitive.
Is pixelating the same as blurring?
No. Blurring spreads pixels smoothly, while pixelating averages them into visible square blocks. Pixelation is generally harder to undo and is the traditional choice for faces and plates. Both are available in this tool.
Is there a file size limit or watermark?
There is no watermark and no upload limit. Very large images are limited only by your device's memory and your browser's canvas size.