How do I pixelate part of a photo?

Drop your image. Switch the region toggle to 'rectangle.' Drag across the area you want to censor. Slide the block size to set how chunky the mosaic looks. The preview updates live. Click apply, then download.

Is pixelating safer than blurring?

For redacting sensitive numbers or names, yes — pixelation at block size 16 px or higher is much harder to reverse than light blur. Recent research has shown some blurred text can be reconstructed with super-resolution models. Pixelation defeats this when the block size is large relative to the censored content.

How do I censor a face online?

Drag a rectangle that covers the face plus a small margin. Pick a block size of 24 px or larger for typical phone-photo resolutions. The chunky mosaic makes the face unrecognizable and visually signals an intentional redaction. Click apply, download the result.

Can I pixelate a whole image?

Yes — keep the region toggle set to 'whole image,' pick a block size, apply. Useful for retro 8-bit aesthetic banners at larger block sizes, or for stylized profile pictures.

Does this tool work on iPhone Safari and Android?

Yes. The Canvas pixelation kernel uses standard browser APIs that ship on all modern mobile browsers. Drag region, set block size, apply, save. Large images may take a moment on older devices, but the algorithm is much faster than blur.

What block size is safe for censoring sensitive numbers?

A general rule: the block size should be at least the height of one character in the censored text. For a 16 px tall digit, use 16–24 px blocks. For larger text, scale up. When in doubt, go bigger — the cost is purely visual.

Will my photo be uploaded anywhere?

No. The pixelation happens entirely in your browser using the Canvas API. Open DevTools, watch the Network tab, drop a photo — there are no outbound image requests. The file never leaves your device.

Why is my pixelate output slightly different from preview?

The preview and the saved output use the same pixelation kernel — they should match. If you see differences, check viewer color profile settings. JPG output applies quality 92 compression which can introduce subtle artifacts at block edges; switch to PNG output for pixel-exact preservation.

FreeInstantNo signup

Pixelate image — free, instant censor, in your browser

Mosaic-censor a face, name, or any part of an image. Drop a photo, drag a rectangle, slide. Free, no signup.

Drop an image to pixelate

JPG, PNG, WebP, AVIF, GIF, BMP · single file · 50 MB max

Mosaic the part you do not want seen

Pixelation is the censor of choice when blur is not enough. The chunky-block aesthetic reads as 'intentionally redacted' rather than 'accidentally out of focus.' Court documents use it. News photos use it. Reality shows use it. The visual signal is clear: this part was hidden on purpose.

This tool runs in your browser using two Canvas passes — downscale the region to a small grid, then upscale it back with smoothing disabled. The result is the chunky mosaic familiar from every redacted document. Block size controls how chunky: 4 px is subtle, 32 px is loud, 64 px is the wall-of-blocks effect.

Pixelation at block size of 16 px or higher resists recovery better than light blur. For sensitive numbers — credit cards, IDs, license plates — the chunky mosaic is the safer pick. The original file never leaves your device; the masked version is saved straight from the browser to your downloads folder.

Mosaic blocks, region-aware

Pick a block size from 4 px to 80 px. Pixelate just the part you drag, or the whole image when no region is set.

Multiple rectangles, one slider

Drag as many regions as you need. Every rectangle uses the same block size. Tap the X on any region to remove it.

Live preview, instant feedback

Drag the slider, the mosaic updates on the same canvas. No apply button to click before you can see the result.

Reasons people pixelate images

Censor a name in a court-document screenshot

Block out names on a public court filing screenshot before sharing on a forum or blog. Mosaic reads as 'this part was redacted on purpose.'

Mosaic a face in a candid photo

Posting a candid group shot? Pixelate faces of bystanders before publishing. Chunky blocks signal an intentional decision.

Hide a credit card or ID number

Showing off a fancy new card or proof of identity? Pixelate the number with 16 px+ blocks so it cannot be recovered.

8-bit retro vibe for a banner

Pixelation at large block sizes doubles as a retro aesthetic. Pick 32 px or 64 px for the bitmap-banner look.

Cover a phone number or email in an app shot

Walkthrough screenshots often include real account details. Pixelate the visible numbers before publishing the tutorial.

Redact a sensitive document scan

Sharing part of a contract or invoice? Pixelate the personal data before posting. Mosaic blocks are the standard 'redacted' visual.

Built for censor and clear visual signals

Chunky mosaic that reads as 'redacted on purpose'
Multi-rectangle support — censor several things in one pass
Output format picker — keep source or switch to PNG/JPG/WebP
EXIF metadata stripped on output so embedded location data is gone

How to pixelate an image in three steps

Drop your image
JPG, PNG, WebP, AVIF, GIF, BMP — all decoded in the browser. The file never uploads.
Drag a rectangle, slide the block size
Switch the region toggle to rectangle mode and drag across the area to censor. Adjust the block size — the preview updates as you slide.
Apply and download
Click apply to commit the mosaic to a new PNG, JPG, or WebP. Download saves to your filesystem.

Tips for clean pixelation

Tip 1:
For privacy redaction of numbers, names, or faces — use a block size of 16 px or larger. Smaller blocks can sometimes be partially reconstructed.
Tip 2:
For a retro pixel-art look, use larger block sizes (32 px or 64 px) on the whole image rather than a region.
Tip 3:
Multiple rectangles all share the same block size. If you need different sizes for different regions, apply once, save, then re-open and apply again with new settings.
Tip 4:
Pixelation is more visually distinctive than blur — it signals 'this was censored' rather than 'this happened to be out of focus.' Pick based on the message you want the reader to receive.
Tip 5:
Save the original file separately. Once pixelated and saved, the masked region cannot be restored.

Pixelate image — frequently asked

Blur Image

Gaussian blur — softer feel than mosaic for non-privacy use.

Image Cropper

Crop the image to the area you care about, then pixelate.

Rotate Image

Fix orientation before censoring.

Image Resizer

Resize before or after pixelation for the right output dimensions.

Image Converter

Re-encode to JPG, PNG, WebP, or AVIF.

Got something to redact?

Drop the image, drag the area, slide the block size. Download in seconds.

Start pixelating