How to Blur a Face in a Photo Online
Need to share a photo but want to protect someone’s identity? Blurring a face is one of the easiest ways to hide personal information before posting an image online.
Why blur a face in a photo?
Photos are shared every day on social media, websites, forums and messaging apps. Sometimes, however, a photograph contains a person who you would rather not identify publicly.
Blurring the face can help make the image safer to share while still allowing you to use the rest of the photograph.
When might you want to hide someone’s face?
There are many everyday situations where face blurring can be useful.
- Sharing photographs from a public place
- Protecting children’s privacy
- Hiding people appearing accidentally in the background
- Posting screenshots containing profile photographs
- Sharing workplace or care-related photographs appropriately
- Creating examples, guides or social media content
How to blur a face online
Upload your photo
Choose the image containing the face or information you want to hide.
Cover the sensitive area
Use a blur, pixelate or privacy effect over the face or private detail.
Save your edited image
Check the result carefully before saving and sharing the new version.
Blur or pixelate – which is better?
Both effects can hide information, but they create slightly different results.
Blur
Blur softens details and usually gives the photograph a cleaner and more natural appearance.
Pixelation
Pixelation replaces fine detail with larger blocks. It can make it much more obvious that part of an image has intentionally been hidden.
Whichever method you choose, make sure the person’s identifying features are genuinely difficult to recognise before sharing the image.
Protect private details before you share
MixPlay provides simple browser-based photo tools designed to make everyday image editing quick and easy.
Explore Free MixPlay ToolsOther details you should check before sharing a photo
A face isn’t the only information that can reveal someone’s identity.
- Home addresses
- Phone numbers
- Email addresses
- Car registration plates
- Computer usernames
- Private messages
- Bank or payment information
- Documents visible in the background
Taking a few seconds to inspect an image before posting it can prevent private information being shared accidentally.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. Browser-based photo editing tools can perform simple privacy edits without needing professional desktop software.
It can be sensible when someone has not agreed to be identifiable or when there is another privacy reason for hiding their identity.
Cropping can work when the person is near the edge of an image. Blurring is useful when you want to keep the rest of the composition.
Yes. The same idea can be used for names, addresses, messages, number plates and other sensitive information.