Photo 1 - A person's face
Pixelate: just the face itself - the hair, ears, and background stay exactly as they are.
No sign-up · Runs 100% in your browser
Black out text in an image
Put a solid black bar over any text in an image, like a redacted document. Nothing shows through and nothing can be recovered from the download.
See it in action
Drag the slider
Email, phone number and order number covered. All names are fictional.
Drag & drop an image here
or paste from your clipboard (Ctrl/Cmd + V) anywhere on this page
PNG, JPG, or WebP · max 20 MB · max 8000 × 8000 px · 40 megapixels · no account needed
Try an example first
Real photos and documents, each shown as actual images: Before is the original, After is the same image with the effect really applied. Open one and try it yourself.
Photos - faces, people & animals
A face close-up, a full person, and an animal. Only the subject itself is pixelated in each “After” image - everything else in the photo stays visible and unchanged, and every photo is shown in full, never cropped.
Photo 2 - A full person
Pixelate: the whole figure, head to toe, so the person cannot be recognised.
Photo 3 - An animal (dog)
Pixelate: only the dog's head - its body and the sunny field around it stay exactly as they are.
Documents & screenshots
A chat, an invoice, and an email thread, all with made-up names and numbers, with solid covers over the private details.
Example 1 - Support chat
Hide: the customer's email, phone number, and order number.
Preparing the before / after images…
Example 2 - Invoice
Hide: the billing email, account number, and total due.
Preparing the before / after images…
Example 3 - Email thread
Hide: both email addresses and the one-time sign-in code.
Preparing the before / after images…
Prefer the numbers dashboard? - revenue figures, a fictional email, phone, and API key to cover.
Quick answer
To black out text in an image, open BlurTool, add the image, drag a box over each line or word you want to hide, keep the Cover effect at 100% opacity, then download. The black bar replaces the original pixels in the exported file, so the text cannot be recovered. The image is processed in your browser and never uploaded.
How to black out text in an image
Add the image
Drop, paste or choose the image or screenshot. The solid Cover effect is already selected.
Draw a bar over the text
Drag a box over each word, line or paragraph. Make it slightly larger than the text so no edges show.
Pick the color
Black is the classic redaction look. You can choose any solid color; keep opacity at 100%.
Download
Export a flattened PNG or JPG. The covered text is gone from the file.
Cover vs blur vs pixelate
| Effect | What it does | Best for | Safe for secrets? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cover | Replaces the area with a solid opaque block | Passwords, API keys, card and account numbers, emails | Yes, at 100% opacity |
| Pixelate | Replaces the area with large single-color blocks | Faces, people, license plates in photos | Not for short text; use large blocks |
| Blur | Smooths the area with a Gaussian blur | Backgrounds and non-critical details | No, light blur can be reversed |
Key facts
- A redaction bar only works if the exported file is flattened; BlurTool always exports a single flattened image.
- Redactions fail in editors that keep the original text under a shape (common in PDF and document editors), not in a flattened image.
- Leaving the length of a redacted word visible can hint at what it was; make bars a consistent width for short secrets.
- BlurTool processes images locally in the browser; the image file is never uploaded to a server.
- Exports are flattened PNG or JPG files at the original resolution, with no layers and no copied EXIF metadata.
- BlurTool accepts PNG, JPG or WebP images up to 20 MB, 8000 px per side and 40 megapixels.
- The manual editor is free and needs no account or sign-up.
Frequently asked questions
Can blacked-out text be recovered from an image?
Not from a flattened image. BlurTool writes the black bar into the pixels on export, so the original text no longer exists in the file.
Is a black bar better than blur for hiding text?
Yes. Blur and pixelation keep some of the original shape and can sometimes be reversed. A solid bar at 100% opacity keeps nothing.
Can I use a color other than black?
Yes. The Cover effect lets you pick any solid color, for example white to match a document background.
Does this work for PDFs?
BlurTool works on images (PNG, JPG, WebP). For a PDF page, take a screenshot or export the page as an image first.
More answers on the Help and FAQ page.
Everything you need to share safely
The manual editor is free forever. Advanced automation is coming with Pro.
Manual redaction editor
FREEDraw, move, and resize boxes over anything private. Zoom, pan, undo/redo, and hold-to-compare included.
Cover · Blur · Pixelate
FREEThree effects per region, with strength and an opacity slider - 100%, 75%, 50%, or 25% - baked into the export.
Private by design
FREEEditing and export run locally in your browser. No image upload, no original layers or metadata in downloads.
Auto detection
PROUNDER CONSTRUCTIONFinds emails, phone numbers and your own watch-words on your device, then covers the ones you approve.
Included in the 30-day free trial.
Bulk / Batch processing
PROUNDER CONSTRUCTIONRedact many screenshots at once with the same settings, review each one, and export the set as a ZIP.
Included in the 30-day free trial.
Saved presets
PROUNDER CONSTRUCTIONSave your effect, opacity, color, and export settings once - then reuse them on every new image.
Included in the 30-day free trial.
Free for manual editing. Pro for automation.
Start free with the full manual editor - no account, no card. Pro adds auto detection, batch processing and saved presets. Every new account gets 30 days of Pro free, with no credit card.
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For the screenshots you share every day
Revenue dashboards, sale threads and buyer chats, support tickets, invoices, and email threads all hit the same problem: one visible email, API key, or phone number can undo the whole post. The default here is a solid cover - the only effect that guarantees nothing shows through - with blur and pixelate available for softer details. New to it? Open one of the photo or document examples above and practise first.
Your next screenshot is one cover away from safe.
Open the free editor, drop in an image, and download a clean copy at full resolution - no account, no upload, no watermark.