PHOTO NOTES
Blur or pixelate a photo: how to choose and check an area
Use rectangular selections carefully and understand their privacy limits.
Choose an effect for the task
Blur softens transitions; pixelation replaces fine details with blocks. Either may suit a distracting background detail. Neither guarantees anonymity. Faces, short text and number plates may remain identifiable from context or the remaining image. If information must be removed, crop it out.
Select the whole detail
Open Blur Photo or Pixelate Photo. Choose one image and drag across the preview to draw a rectangle. Include a margin around the object. Fine-tune X, Y, selection width and height using the numeric controls; these refer to upright source pixels and also work with a keyboard.
Adjust strength at the original scale
Blur strength and pixel block size are measured in source pixels. A block size that looks strong in a small preview may be weak on a high-resolution original. Increase it deliberately and process the photo to see the actual result.
Inspect the processed preview
Switch between Original and Result. Zoom the downloaded image in a normal image viewer and check every edge of the selected region. This browser version processes one rectangle per export. Choose Continue editing beside a result and select Blur Photo or Pixelate Photo to work on another region. Export PNG between edits to avoid repeated lossy JPEG saves.
Review the rest of the image
Look for reflections, other faces and identifying context outside the selected area. All browser exports omit source EXIF/GPS records, but that does not remove visible information. Keep your original privately and share only the checked exported file.