Pixelate image

Pixelation averages each square block of pixels into a single colour, replacing fine detail with a coarse mosaic. It is the classic way to create a retro, low-resolution 8-bit aesthetic, and the simplest way to censor private information in a screenshot or photo.

Because the detail inside each block is discarded, a large enough block size makes the original content unrecoverable — handy for hiding faces, names, addresses or licence plates before sharing. It all runs in your browser, so nothing is uploaded.

Screenshots are where pixelation earns its keep: bug reports that show account emails, support tickets with order numbers, tutorial recordings where a browser tab exposes a client name. Outside the screen, estate agents obscure house numbers, sellers hide licence plates in car listings, and teachers pixelate student faces before posting classroom photos. Any time an image is heading somewhere public, a quick pass over identifying details is cheap insurance.

Censoring pixels covers only what is visible in the frame. Photos often carry EXIF metadata as well — GPS coordinates, timestamps, camera details — so if the location is sensitive, check and strip that separately rather than assuming an image edit deals with it. And scan the whole picture before sharing: reflections in mirrors and windows, papers in the background and open browser tabs leak information just as readily as the detail you deliberately covered.