How to pixelate a photo

How to pixelate a photo online (any device)

This works in any modern browser, including Safari on iPhone and Chrome on Android, without installing anything.

Pixelate the whole photo

1. Upload the photo in the tool at the top of this page.
2. Leave the mode on Full and the effect on Pixelate.
3. Drag the Pixel Size slider (1 = subtle, 50 = very chunky).
4. Click Apply Effect, check the result, and click Download.

Pixelate only part of a photo

1. Upload the photo.
2. Choose Select and drag a rectangle over the face, name, number plate or screen you want to hide. For irregular shapes, choose Brush, set the brush size and paint over the area.
3. Set the Pixel Size and click Apply Effect.
4. Repeat for every other area, use Undo if you miss, and click Download when you're done.

Want the opposite effect, with the subject sharp and the background pixelated? Select the subject and turn on Invert before applying. More detail in our guide to pixelating part of an image.

How to pixelate a photo on iPhone

The Photos app on iPhone has no pixelate or mosaic filter. You have three options:

1. Use this tool in Safari (real pixelation). Open imagepixelate.com, tap the upload area, choose Photo Library, pixelate the photo as described above and tap Download. Then open the file from Safari's downloads and tap the share icon, then Save Image, to put it back in Photos.
2. Cover it with Markup (built in). Open the photo in Photos, tap Edit, then the Markup (pen) icon. Tap +, add a square shape, set it to filled and pick black, then drag it over the area. Tap Done. This isn't pixelation, but an opaque box hides information completely. Avoid the highlighter: it's semi-transparent.
3. Clean Up (Apple Intelligence iPhones only). On models that support Apple Intelligence, tap Edit then Clean Up and brush over a face: Photos applies a pixelated mosaic to it instead of erasing it.

Step-by-step screenshots and more tips: how to pixelate a picture on iPhone.

How to pixelate a photo on Android

Google Photos doesn't have a pixelate filter either. Your options:

1. Use this tool in Chrome. Open imagepixelate.com, tap the upload area and choose the photo from your gallery or files, pixelate it, and tap Download. The PNG lands in your Downloads folder and shows up in Google Photos.
2. Cover it in Google Photos. Open the photo, tap Edit, go to Markup, choose the Pen in black and paint over the area until it's fully covered, then tap Done and Save copy. Again: use the pen, not the semi-transparent highlighter.
3. Check your gallery app. Some manufacturer gallery apps, such as Samsung Gallery, include a mosaic or pixelate brush in their drawing tools, which works much like the Brush mode above.

How to pixelate a photo in Photoshop

Whole photo

1. Open the photo and duplicate the layer (Ctrl/Cmd + J) so the original stays intact.
2. Go to Filter → Pixelate → Mosaic.
3. Set Cell Size (in square pixels) and watch the preview, then click OK.
4. Export with File → Export → Export As.

Part of the photo

1. Select the area with the Rectangular Marquee (M) or Lasso (L) tool.
2. Go to Filter → Pixelate → Mosaic. The filter only affects the selection.
3. Deselect (Ctrl/Cmd + D) and export.

To keep the effect editable, use Filter → Convert for Smart Filters first. Full walkthrough: how to pixelate an image in Photoshop.

Tips: making faces and text truly unreadable

• Use big blocks. A face should be covered by roughly 8 blocks across or fewer. With more blocks than that, people who know the person can often still recognise them.
• Blocks should be bigger than the letters. For text, number plates and screenshots, each block should be taller than the characters. Short, predictable text like a number or name can sometimes be guessed from small blocks by trying candidates until one matches.
• Pixel Size is in real image pixels. A 4000-pixel-wide photo needs a much larger Pixel Size than a small screenshot. Zoom out and check the result at the size people will see it.
• Blur can be weaker than it looks. A light blur keeps much of the original information and can sometimes be partly sharpened or recognised. Pixelation with large blocks throws away more detail.
• For anything truly sensitive, use a solid box. Passwords, ID and card numbers or medical details are best covered with an opaque black rectangle: it leaves nothing to reconstruct.
• Check the whole photo. Reflections, name badges, screens and metadata can give away what you just hid. You can also remove metadata from images.