Pixelate part of an image
Turn a face, a number plate or a busy background into a mosaic of coarse colour blocks.
Pixelation is not safe for text. Pixelated text can be partly read back, and small blocks make it easier. The Depix project recovers text from pixelated screenshots by pixelating the same font the same way and matching the blocks. To hide a name, a number or a password, cover it with a solid redaction box.
How to pixelate part of an image
- Paste an image with Ctrl+V, drop a file on the page or press Load.
- The blur tool is ready in Pixelate mode. Drag a box over the area, or pick the brush shape and paint over it; the blocks show as you go.
- Set the Block size in the options bar. Bigger blocks hide more.
- For a face, pick the ellipse shape, so only the blocks the oval covers are pixelated, not the box's corners.
- Copy with Ctrl+C, or save as PNG, JPEG or WebP.
Pixelate a face
Pick the ellipse shape and drag from above the forehead to below the chin. Take in the hair and ears too, since people recognise those as well. Then raise the block size until the eyes and mouth are gone. Each face can have its own oval, and you can select one later to move it or change its block size. To find every face in a photo at once, press Find faces on the bar, as the blur faces page shows.
Pixelate a number plate or a background
Blocks work well on a cluttered background, a screen at the back of a photo or a number plate. For a plate, raise the block size until no letter or digit can be made out.
Pixelate or blur?
They're the same tool. Switch between Blur and Pixelate in the options bar, or select a box you've drawn and switch it. A blur looks softer in a photo, and pixelation makes it plain that something was hidden.
FAQ
Can pixelation be reversed?
Not by undoing it. The saved image keeps only the blocks' average colours. Text can still be guessed back, so use a solid box for text.
Is my image uploaded?
No. Pixelation runs locally in your browser, and the image never leaves your device.