How to Pixelate Faces and Number Plates in a Photo

To hide faces, number plates or other details, open Pixelate Image, add the photo, choose Selected areas, and drag a box over each thing to hide — as many boxes as you need. Each box is replaced by large coloured blocks, so the detail can't be read. Download the censored image. Choose Whole image instead for a retro 8-bit pixel-art look.

Pixelate parts of a photo

1. Open Pixelate Image and add your photo.
2. Under What to pixelate, choose Selected areas.
3. Drag on the picture to draw a box over a face, a plate, an address or a screen. Draw more boxes for other areas.
4. Set the block size — bigger blocks hide more.
5. Check the Pixelated picture and download it.

How pixelation works — and why block size matters

Pixelation replaces each square block of the picture with the block's average colour. With small blocks, shapes and even letters can stay recognisable — the eye fills in the gaps, and some software can guess pixelated text. With large blocks, the detail is genuinely gone.

A good rule: make the blocks large enough that each character of text, or each feature of a face, is covered by at most one or two blocks. For a number plate, that means the whole plate is only a few blocks wide. When in doubt, go bigger.

What to pixelate before sharing

• Faces of children, strangers and anyone who hasn't agreed to be posted.
• Number plates in photos of cars, streets and driveways.
• House numbers, street names and landmarks near your home.
• Screens — laptops, phones and TVs in the background can show messages, emails or dashboards.
• Documents on desks: letters, bank cards, IDs.
• Boarding passes and tickets — the barcode or QR code can contain your booking reference and name.
• Chat screenshots — names, phone numbers and profile pictures of other people.

Pixelate, blur or crop?

• Pixelate with big blocks for privacy — the safest-looking common option.
• Blur looks softer and suits backgrounds; for privacy use a strong blur. Blur Region handles single areas.
• Crop when the private thing is at the edge — the Image Cropper removes it completely.

Group photos and events

At schools, sports clubs and parties, some parents and guests don't want their children or themselves online. Pixelate the faces of anyone who hasn't agreed before you post — it's quick with several boxes, and it lets you share the moment without sharing them.

The data you can't see

A photo can give away more than what's in it. Phone photos usually contain hidden EXIF data, including the GPS coordinates of where they were taken. Pixelating your house number is pointless if the photo carries your exact location — check and remove it with the EXIF Viewer & Remover before posting.

Pixel art for fun

Choose Whole image to turn any picture into chunky pixel art — a retro video-game look for avatars, posters and posts. Small blocks keep the picture recognisable; big blocks make it abstract. For other creative effects, browse Photo Filters.

Frequently asked questions

Can pixelation be reversed?

The original pixels are replaced in the saved image. With large blocks, the detail is gone for good; with very small blocks, text might be guessed — so use big blocks for anything sensitive.

Is my photo uploaded?

No. Pixelation happens in your browser, which is exactly what you want for photos with private details.

Can I pixelate a video?

This tool works on images. For a video, crop the private area out of the frame with Crop Video; hiding a moving face needs a video editor with motion tracking.