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Choose imageAbout the Pixelate / Blur
Obscure what shouldn't be seen: this tool pixelates or blurs an entire image with a single slider. In pixelate mode you set the block size — from a light 2-pixel mosaic to chunky 64-pixel squares — while blur mode applies a smooth Gaussian-style softening up to 40 pixels strong. Both render live so you can push the effect exactly as far as anonymity requires.
It's the fast way to censor screenshots before posting them, hide faces and licence plates, blur a background for a presentation slide, or create pixel-art-style textures and game mockups. Crucially for a censoring tool, the image is processed entirely inside your browser: the sensitive content you're trying to hide is never transmitted anywhere, and the result downloads as a clean PNG.
Features
- Pixelate mode with block sizes from 2 to 64 pixels
- Blur mode with strength up to 40 pixels
- Live preview while you drag the slider
- Great for censoring screenshots, faces and plates
- Doubles as a retro pixel-art effect generator
- Sensitive images stay on your device — zero upload
How to pixelate an image online
- Load the image or screenshot you want to obscure.
- Switch between Pixelate and Blur to compare the two effects.
- Drag the slider until the detail is unreadable.
- Download the censored image as a PNG.
Frequently asked questions
Can pixelation be reversed to reveal the original?
Small blocks can sometimes be partially reconstructed by specialised software, so don't be timid: for genuinely sensitive content use large block sizes — 32 pixels or more — where each block averages away far too much information to recover text or faces. When in doubt, go blockier than looks necessary.
Should I pixelate or blur to hide information?
Pixelation at a large block size is generally the safer censoring choice, because strong mosaics destroy detail more thoroughly than moderate blurs, which have famously been reversed in the past. Blur looks softer and more natural, making it better for aesthetics — backgrounds, depth effects — than for redaction.
Can I pixelate just one part of the image?
This tool applies the effect to the whole frame, which suits screenshots and photos where everything should be obscured. To censor only a region, crop that area out with the image cropper, pixelate it here, or blur the sensitive part before compositing — or crop the image so only the safe part remains.
Does the tool work for making pixel art?
It's a handy shortcut: run any photo through a mid-size block setting and you get an instant retro mosaic, useful for game mockups, avatars and 8-bit-style banners. The downscale-and-upscale method it uses preserves hard block edges rather than smoothing them, which keeps the pixel look crisp.
Is it safe to censor confidential screenshots here?
Yes — arguably safer than most alternatives, because the image is never uploaded. Pixelation happens on a canvas inside your own browser, so the uncensored original exists only on your machine. Just remember to double-check the preview before sharing the downloaded file.