Pixelate Image

Pixelate a photo in seconds

This pixelate image tool turns a picture into large square blocks of colour. Use it to censor a face, a number plate or private text before you share a screenshot, or to give an image a retro pixel-art look. You choose the block size, preview the result and download it as a PNG.

How to pixelate an image

1. Drop an image onto the upload box, or click to choose one.
2. Set the pixel block size. The field accepts 2 to 60; bigger numbers give bigger, blockier squares.
3. Click Pixelate Image and check the preview.
4. Click Download Pixelated Image to save pixelated-image.png.

Try a different block size and click Pixelate again to compare results.

How it works

The image is first shrunk to a tiny version with image smoothing turned off, then stretched back to its original size without smoothing. Each tiny pixel becomes one solid square block.

Example: a 1200 × 800 photo with a block size of 12 is shrunk to 100 × 67 pixels (1200 ÷ 12 = 100, and 800 ÷ 12 rounded up = 67), then stretched back to 1200 × 800. Each block is about 12 × 12 pixels. The output keeps the original width and height and is always saved as PNG.

Everything happens on an HTML canvas in your browser, so the image is not uploaded to a server.

Tips for censoring images

• Use a large block size for text. Small blocks can leave letters and numbers readable. Zoom in on the preview before sharing.
• Small block sizes (2–6) give a subtle pixel-art style rather than real censoring.
• For the strongest privacy, cover the area with a solid box in an image editor instead of pixelating it.
• The PNG output can be larger than the original JPEG. Convert or compress it afterwards if size matters.

Frequently asked questions

Can I pixelate only part of an image?

No. This tool pixelates the whole image. To hide one area, crop that part out, pixelate it here and place it back in an image editor, or use an editor with a selection tool.

Is my image uploaded?

No. The image is read and processed on your device.

Which block size should I use?

It depends on the image size. On a large photo, 20 or more hides faces and text well; on a small screenshot, a lower number may already be enough. Always check the preview.