Pixelate Image
Censor a photo with mosaic blocks, over the whole image or a selected area, at adjustable block size.
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Processed locally — never uploaded
How to use pixelate image
- 1Add your image
The preview updates as you change the settings.
- 2Choose whole image or an area
Drag a rectangle on the preview in area mode to censor just the part you need.
- 3Download and verify
Open the saved file and confirm the area is genuinely unreadable, especially for documents.
About pixelate image
Pixelate image covers part or all of a photograph with large blocks of colour, hiding whatever sits underneath. Use it to censor a face in a screenshot, remove a licence plate or house number from a photo, or redact a detail in a document scan before sharing it.
The reason to prefer pixelation over blur is that blur preserves information. A blurred region still contains averaged colour data, and someone who knows roughly what should be there can sometimes reconstruct it or at least confirm a guess. Pixelation discards the original pixels in the region and replaces them with one averaged colour per block, so the original detail no longer exists anywhere in the file. That makes it the correct choice for genuine redaction.
Two practical warnings. First, check the exported file rather than trusting the preview, because JPEG compression can leave faint traces of high contrast detail along block edges. Second, if you are redacting a scanned document, pixelation is safer for the visible image but the text layer underneath may still contain the original data. For documents, convert to an image-only PDF so the hidden text is genuinely gone.
Frequently asked questions
Is pixelation safe for redacting a document?
For the visible image, yes, because the original pixels in that region are discarded. A scanned PDF may still contain the text in an invisible layer, so check for that or convert to an image-only file.
What block size should I use?
Large enough that no detail survives. For a face, blocks roughly 40 to 60 pixels across a 1000 pixel image are usually enough. If you can still make out a shape, increase the size.
Pixelation or blur?
Pixelation for anything sensitive, because it removes the data. Blur is visually softer and adequate only when avoiding an incidental detail such as a house number.
Can I reverse a pixelated image?
No. The pixels in the censored region no longer contain the original data, so there is nothing to recover. This is what separates it from merely saving a low quality JPEG.
Does pixelating change the file size?
It usually reduces it, because flat blocks of colour compress very efficiently. The saving alone is not a reason to use it, since it is not a reliable compression method in itself.
Are my images uploaded?
No, processing happens in your browser.
Related tools
Private by design. Your files are processed on this device and are never uploaded to the 1xmobcas.com server. Use pixelate image offline with total confidence.