How to Pixelate Part of an Image in the Browser
September 21, 2026
Pixelation replaces a region with large blocks of flat colour. Unlike a Gaussian blur, which smooths the pixels but keeps their overall arrangement, pixelation discards the arrangement -- which is why it is the right tool for hiding text, faces and numbers rather than merely softening them.
Why not blur
A soft blur on short, high-contrast text leaves a distinctive smear. Given a list of candidate strings -- usernames, six-digit codes, licence plates -- the smears can be compared and matched. This has been demonstrated often enough that blur should be treated as cosmetic, not protective.
Pixelation with blocks larger than the text height leaves nothing to match. A solid rectangle is equally safe and less attractive.
Pixelate in the browser
Open Demorta’s screenshot editor, paste or drop the image (or capture one), choose Blur, and drag over the region. The tool pixelates with a block size scaled to the area, so a small region gets small blocks and a large one gets large blocks -- both coarse enough that the content is gone. Repeat for each region, then Download. The image never leaves your browser. Try the free screenshot tool.
Check the result
Zoom in. If you can still count the characters or make out a shape, the blocks are too small -- draw a solid box over it instead. Then look for the same information elsewhere in the image: a name in a header is often also in a breadcrumb, a sidebar and a tab title.
Frequently asked questions
- Is pixelation safer than blurring?
- Yes, for hiding text and numbers. Blur preserves the arrangement of pixels and can sometimes be reversed by matching; coarse pixelation discards it.
- How do I pixelate part of a photo without Photoshop?
- Use a browser-based editor: paste or drop the image, select the pixelate or blur tool, drag over the region, and download. Demorta’s screenshot editor does this locally, with no upload.
- How big should the pixel blocks be?
- Larger than the height of the text or feature being hidden. If any shape is still recognisable when you zoom in, make them larger or use a solid box.
Keep reading
This is what Demorta does
Click through it — the same kind of demo you can record of your own product.
Try it on your own product
Record your first interactive demo free.
Five demos on the free plan, forever. No credit card, no trial countdown, no sales call. Install the Chrome extension, click through your product once, and you have a shareable link in about ten minutes.
Start free →