Blur Image
This free tool blurs, pixelates or blacks out any part of a photo or screenshot, such as faces, names, addresses and card numbers. It warns you when blur or pixelation would be reversible on text and offers a secure blur that cannot be read back. The file you download carries no EXIF, GPS or hidden thumbnail.
What does this blur tool do?
It hides the parts of a photo or screenshot you don't want to share, and tells you honestly when a technique isn't safe enough.
- Four effects. Blur and Pixelate for faces and backgrounds, Secure blur for names and numbers, and Solid box for passwords and card numbers.
- A warning when it matters. If an area looks like text and uses blur or pixelation, the page explains that it can be reversed and offers to switch it to Secure blur in one click.
- Rectangles and ellipses, as many as you need, each with its own effect. Move and resize them, undo and redo, nudge with the arrow keys.
- Invert keeps one area sharp and blurs everything else, for a busy background.
- A clean file. The download has no EXIF, no GPS and no hidden thumbnail, so the unblurred original can't leak back through the metadata. The page checks this after saving.
- Full size, no upload. The image is saved at its original resolution and never leaves your browser.
How do you blur part of an image?
- Drop an image, paste a screenshot with Ctrl V or Cmd V, or press Try a sample screenshot.
- Pick an effect and a shape, then drag over each thing to hide.
- Click an area to select it and change its effect, strength or color. Delete removes it.
- Choose the format and press Download image.
Is pixelated text really unsafe?
Yes, often. Pixelation replaces each block with its average color. Because every letter of a font pixelates in the same predictable way, tools such as Depix and Bishop Fox's Unredacter render candidate words, pixelate them identically, and keep the guess that matches. Researchers have recovered passwords and names this way. A light blur has the same weakness.
| Effect | Faces | Text | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blur | Good at high strength | Unsafe | Predictable, can be matched |
| Pixelate | Good with large blocks | Unsafe | Block colors can be matched |
| Secure blur | Good | Safe | Whole characters per block, plus random noise |
| Solid box | Good | Safest | Nothing of the original remains |
Secure blur was tested the way an attacker would work: two passwords that differ by one character come out no more different than the same password processed twice.
Why does the metadata matter?
A blurred picture can still carry the original. Many cameras and editors store a small thumbnail inside the file that isn't updated after edits, next to the GPS location. This tool draws the image fresh, so none of that is carried over. To inspect or clean a photo without editing it, use the EXIF remover.
What this tool does not do
- It does not detect faces or text automatically. You mark each area yourself.
- It does not edit video.
- It does not reveal what others blurred. Nothing can reliably reverse Secure blur or a solid box.
Frequently asked questions
How do I blur part of an image?
Drop the image on this page or paste a screenshot, then drag a box over what you want to hide. Pick Blur, Pixelate, Secure blur or Solid box, and a rectangle or ellipse for faces. Add as many areas as you need, move or resize them, then download the image at its full size.
Is pixelated or blurred text safe?
Not always. Tools like Depix and Unredacter rebuild pixelated or lightly blurred words, because each letter blurs the same predictable way and can be matched by trial. A solid box is the only fully safe way to hide passwords and card numbers. Secure blur here averages whole characters and adds random noise, which leaves nothing to match.
What is Secure blur?
It pixelates with blocks as large as the text, so each block is the average of whole characters, then adds random noise from your browser's cryptographic generator and smooths the result. Two different words come out as alike as the same word processed twice, so a depixelation tool has nothing to compare against.
How do I blur a face in a photo?
Choose Ellipse and Blur, then drag over the face. Raise the strength until the features are unrecognizable; for a stronger result use Pixelate or Secure blur. Add one area per face. To blur everyone except one person, draw around that person and tick Invert, which applies the effect everywhere else.
Can a blurred photo still reveal the original?
Yes, through its metadata. Many photos carry a hidden thumbnail made before any edit, and a GPS location. Blurring the visible picture does not change them. The file this tool saves is drawn fresh, so it has no EXIF, no GPS and no hidden thumbnail, and the page checks that after saving.
How do I hide a name or number in a screenshot?
Paste the screenshot with Ctrl V or Cmd V, then drag a box over each name or number. The page warns you if an area looks like text and uses a reversible effect, and offers to switch it to Secure blur. For passwords, bank details and ID numbers, use Solid box in any color.
Does blurring reduce the quality of the rest of the image?
Only the areas you mark change. The rest of the image keeps every pixel. The download is saved at the original size, in the same format by default, or as JPG, PNG or WebP if you choose. Saving a JPG again does apply normal JPG compression to the whole file, at a high quality setting.
Can I blur the background instead of a part?
Yes. Draw an area around what should stay sharp, such as a person or a product, and tick Invert. The effect then covers everything outside the area. This hides bystanders, house numbers and street signs in the background while the subject stays clear.
Is my image uploaded?
No. The image is opened and edited inside your browser tab, and nothing is sent to a server, which matters when the screenshot holds private messages or account details. Closing the tab clears it. There is no account, no watermark and no limit on how many images you edit.
What does this blur tool not do?
It does not find faces or text by itself: you mark each area, which takes a few seconds and never misses what automatic detection would skip. It does not edit video. It cannot undo a blur on an image someone else made, and no tool can reliably do that for Secure blur or a solid box.
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This tool is free and still growing. Tell us what works, what you would change, and what is missing. Your feedback is what decides what we build next.
Built and tested by the ÆON Toolhub team. Last updated: September 30, 2026. How we test our tools