Skip to content
ImgKiloImgKiloOpen tools

Pixelate Image

Pixelate image

Drop an image and pixelate the whole thing for a mosaic effect, or drag a box to censor just a face, a number plate or a screen. A strength slider sets how coarse the blocks are, and you can download the result as PNG or JPG. It runs in your browser, so the image is never uploaded.

  • Files never leave your device
  • Runs in your browser
  • Free, no signup

How it works

  1. 1

    Drop an image

    Add a JPG, PNG, WebP, GIF or AVIF. It is drawn to a canvas in your browser, with no upload.

  2. 2

    Pixelate all or part

    Keep it on the whole image, or switch to selected areas and drag a box over each spot to hide.

  3. 3

    Set strength and save

    Slide the block size up until it looks right, then download as PNG or JPG.

What this pixelate tool gives you

Whole image or a box

Pixelate everything for a mosaic look, or draw boxes over only the faces and details you need to censor.

Detail is really gone

Each block is flattened to one colour in the export, so a strong setting hides content rather than just softening it.

Edited locally, never uploaded

The image stays in your browser tab, so private screenshots and photos never touch a server.

Where this helps

Privacy

Censoring faces

Hide a bystander's face in a photo before posting it, without sending the picture to anyone.

Redact

Hiding plates and IDs

Box out a number plate, badge or document number in a screenshot so it cannot be read.

Screens

Cleaning up screenshots

Mask a name, email or balance on a screen capture before you share it in a guide or report.

Style

Retro mosaic effect

Pixelate a whole image for a deliberate low-resolution, game-style look.

Tips that help

  • 1

    Go stronger than feels needed

    Light pixelation of text or simple shapes can leak the original. If you are hiding sensitive data, push the strength up.

  • 2

    Use boxes for one-off spots

    Switch to selected areas to keep the photo sharp everywhere except the faces or details you box out.

  • 3

    Stack several boxes

    Add a box per face or field. Undo removes the last one if you misplace it, so you can work quickly.

  • 4

    Prefer a softer look?

    If a mosaic feels too harsh, blur the area instead for a result that blends into the photo.

Pixelating an image: how the mosaic works and when to use it

Pixelating is the quickest way to turn a clear area of an image into an unreadable mosaic, whether you want a retro game look across a whole picture or you need to hide a face, a sign, or a screen before sharing. This guide covers how the effect is built, how to choose a block size that actually hides what you mean to hide, and how it differs from blurring.

How pixelation is built

The tool overlays a grid of equal squares on the area you choose and averages the colour inside each square down to one value. The bigger the square, the less detail survives, because more of the original picture is flattened into each block.

Pixelate image

Because the saved file only contains the averaged blocks, the detail inside a pixelated region is genuinely gone in the export, not just visually softened. That is the main reason people reach for pixelation rather than blur when they want something hidden for good.

Everything happens on a canvas at the image's full resolution, so the parts you leave alone are untouched and the download matches the original dimensions.

Choosing a block size that hides what you mean

Start with the strength slider and watch the preview. Small blocks give a gentle, stylised mosaic that still hints at the shape underneath, which is fine for an artistic effect but weak for privacy.

For hiding faces, plates, or text, push the strength up until the content is a flat patch of colour with no readable structure. A good rule is that you should not be able to guess the original by squinting at the result.

Text and simple high-contrast patterns are the hardest to hide, because even a coarse mosaic can leak their shape. When in doubt, use a stronger setting than feels necessary.

Read more

Pixelate or blur?

Pixelation gives a hard, obvious 'this was hidden on purpose' look and discards the underlying detail in blocks. Blur gives a softer result that reads as more natural in a photo. If you want a discreet effect, the blur tool is the better fit.

For obscuring a single face in a group photo, many people prefer a blur because it blends in. For hiding data on a screenshot, a strong pixelation reads more clearly as redaction. Both run here in the browser, so you can try each and keep whichever looks right.

If you only need to confirm what an image contains before editing, the resolution checker reads its size and format without changing a pixel.

Frequently asked questions

Honest answers to what people ask before using this tool.

Drop an image, then choose how much of it to pixelate. Leave it on 'Whole image' for a full mosaic effect, or switch to 'Selected areas' and drag a box over the parts you want to hide. A strength slider sets the block size. Download the result as PNG or JPG. It all runs in your browser, so the image is never uploaded.

It divides the area into square blocks and replaces each block with a single averaged colour, so fine detail is replaced by a coarse mosaic. Larger blocks hide more. Unlike a blur, the original pixels inside each block are discarded in the export, so the detail cannot be recovered from the saved file.

Yes. Switch 'Apply to' to 'Selected areas' and drag a box over each region you want to obscure. Add as many boxes as you need, and undo or clear them if you misplace one. The rest of the image stays sharp.

For most uses it is fine, as long as you use a large enough block size. Be aware that very light pixelation of text or simple patterns can sometimes be reversed, so for things like passwords or full documents, use a strong setting or a solid block instead of relying on a light mosaic.

No. Only the pixelated area is changed. Everywhere else keeps the original pixels, and the export is drawn at the image's native resolution, so the unpixelated parts stay exactly as sharp as the original.

No. The image is decoded and edited entirely in your browser using a canvas. Nothing is sent to a server, which you can confirm in the Network panel, so private photos and screenshots stay on your device.

Further reading

Independent references if you want to go deeper on the formats and tradeoffs.

Related tools