Blur or Cover Part of a Photo (Free, In-Browser)
Runs entirely in your browser. Your photo never leaves your device.
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Choose a photo, then drag across each part you want to hide.
Drag a box over anything you want to hide, then save a new image. A solid box is the safe choice: the pixels underneath are replaced, so nothing can be recovered from them. Everything happens on your device.
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Why is a solid box safer than blur?
- Blur keeps information. It smears pixels but does not remove them. Text blurred lightly can often be guessed back.
- Pixelation keeps some too. Each block is the average of the pixels under it. With small blocks, short text like a number can be matched by trying candidates.
- A solid box keeps nothing. The covered pixels are overwritten with one colour.
Use pixelate for faces in a crowd, where you want the photo to look natural. Use a solid box for text: names, addresses, card numbers, codes and license plates. This tool uses large pixel blocks to make guessing harder.
How do I use it?
- Tap Choose a photo and pick a JPEG or PNG. HEIC works in Safari.
- Pick Solid box or Pixelate, and a box colour.
- Drag across each area you want to hide. Use Undo last box if you miss.
- Pick JPEG or PNG and tap Save a new image.
- Look at the saved image at full size before you send it.
Is the hidden part really gone?
Yes, in the saved image. The new file is built from the canvas pixels only, after the boxes are drawn. It has no layers, no undo history and no original underneath. It also has no metadata, so the location and date are gone too.
Some editors work differently. A shape drawn in a PDF or document editor can sit on top of the text, which is still there. Always check the file you are sending, not the editor view.
What should I check before I share?
- Reflections. Glasses, windows and screens can show what you covered.
- Edges. Make each box a little bigger than the thing it covers.
- Other copies. A screenshot of the same screen may still be in your Photos.
What this doesn't protect against
- The original photo. It stays on your device and in iCloud Photos if you use it. Delete it or move it somewhere private.
- Context. A covered face can still be recognised by clothes, a tattoo or the place.
- Copies already sent. Redacting now does not change a photo someone already has.
Where can I keep the uncovered original?
If you need the original but do not want it in Camera Roll, keep it encrypted. Cryptile encrypts every photo with AES-256-GCM, with keys made on your iPhone from a pattern you draw. There is no account and no server.