Pixelate an Image Online
Reduce a picture to flat blocks, from a light mosaic to unrecognisable.
Drop a file here
or click to choose a file
Runs on your device Your file is processed by your own browser and is never uploaded to a server.
Short answer
An image can be pixelated in a browser by dividing it into square blocks and replacing every pixel in each block with the block's average colour. Averaging rather than sampling one pixel per block is what keeps the result recognisable as the original image at small block sizes and evenly toned at large ones. The whole image is processed, and nothing is uploaded.
At a glance
| Accepts | JPG, PNG, WebP, GIF, BMP |
|---|---|
| Produces | Same format as the original |
| Processing | In your browser |
| Price | Free, no limits |
| Account | Not required |
This applies the mosaic to the entire image, not to a region you select. That is worth being clear about, because the most common reason to reach for pixelation is hiding one face or one number in an otherwise normal photo, and that needs a selection frame this tool does not have.
What it is good for is the whole-frame version: a placeholder or thumbnail that suggests an image without showing it, a retro effect, or obscuring a screenshot completely before sharing it. If you need to hide part of a picture, cropping the sensitive part away is both easier and safer than blurring it.
How to use it
- 1
Add the image
Drop in any common image file.
- 2
Choose the block size
Small blocks keep the image readable; large ones make it unrecognisable.
- 3
Download it
The dimensions stay the same — only the detail is gone.
Frequently asked questions
Can I pixelate just one part of the image?
Not with this tool — it processes the whole frame. To hide one area, crop it out instead; removing the pixels entirely is more reliable than obscuring them.
Can pixelation be reversed?
For a large block size, no: each block keeps only one colour, so the detail is genuinely gone. For small blocks over predictable content, such as text or a number plate, enough structure can survive that a determined attempt may recover it. Use a large block size for anything sensitive.
Why does the file sometimes get much smaller?
Because flat blocks of one colour are exactly what image compression handles best. A heavily pixelated photo can end up a fraction of the size of the original at the same dimensions.