Pixelate an image
Mosaic the whole picture, or just the region you want hidden.
Drop an image here, or .
Runs in your browser. Nothing is uploaded.
Pixelate & Censor: how to use it
- Drop in an image.
- Set the Block size. Bigger blocks hide more.
- To hide just one area, tick Only part of the image and move the region with the Left, Top, Width and Height sliders. Then download.
Tips
- For text such as names, numbers and addresses, tick Solid black box instead of pixels. Small pixel blocks over text can sometimes be reversed.
- Pixel art: use a small block size and fewer Colours per channel for a retro game look.
- Our guide to hiding personal information in screenshots explains which methods are safe.
Pixelate & Censor: what it does and when to use it
Pixelate & Censor replaces the picture with a grid of flat blocks. Over the whole image, that is the pixel-art look, and the Colours per channel setting makes it more retro. Over a chosen region only, it is the standard way to hide a face, a licence plate or a name in a photo before sharing it.
Bigger blocks hide more. For text such as passwords, email addresses, card and account numbers, tick the solid black box option instead of pixels. Research has shown that pixelated text with small blocks can sometimes be reconstructed, especially when the font is known; a solid box leaves nothing to recover.
Everything happens in your browser, so the unredacted image is never uploaded. Whatever you hide, check the result at full size, and remember that other clues, such as reflections, tabs or file names in a screenshot, can reveal the same information. Our guide to hiding personal information in screenshots lists what to look for.
Pixelate & Censor: frequently asked questions
How do I pixelate part of an image?
Turn on the option to pixelate only part of the image, set the region over the face, text or number plate, and choose a large block size. The rest of the photo is untouched. Related guide: Hide info in screenshots: blur isn’t enough.
How do I hide personal information in a screenshot?
Pixelate it with large blocks or cover it with a solid box using the Shape Drawer. Avoid a light blur for text, which can sometimes still be read. Also remove hidden location data with the Metadata Remover.
Can pixelation be reversed?
Not when the blocks are large: the detail is replaced by one averaged colour per block and is gone from the file. Very small blocks on large text can sometimes be guessed, so use big blocks. Related tool: Image Blur.