Pixelate Image
Drop an image, adjust the pixel size, and download the pixelated result at full resolution.
Processed on your device — nothing is sent anywhere.
How it works
- Drop an image onto the area below, or click it to choose a file from your device.
- Move the pixel size slider — the preview updates live as you drag, from a subtle mosaic to large blocks.
- Press Download PNG or Download JPG to save the pixelated image at its original resolution.
Frequently asked questions
- Is my image uploaded to a server?
- No. The image is opened and pixelated entirely in your browser using the canvas element, and the download is generated on your device. Nothing is transmitted anywhere, so the tool is safe to use with private photos.
- What does the pixel size value mean?
- It is the width of each square block in pixels, measured on the original image. A value of 8 turns every 8 by 8 pixel area into one solid block; higher values produce larger blocks and a stronger effect.
- Can I pixelate just one part of an image, like a face?
- This tool applies the effect to the whole image, which suits mosaic backgrounds, thumbnails and pixel-art looks. To blur or pixelate only a face, license plate or address, use our Censor Photo tool instead — it lets you drag a box over the exact region to hide.
- Is pixelation enough to hide sensitive text in a screenshot?
- Only if the blocks are large. Lightly pixelated text has been reconstructed by comparing the mosaic against rendered guesses, so a small pixel size is risky for passwords or account numbers. Choose a block size that leaves no letter shapes visible, or cover the text with a solid bar for anything critical.
- Does pixelating reduce the image resolution?
- The downloaded file keeps the exact width and height of your original image — only the detail inside it is replaced by blocks. If you want a genuinely smaller file as well, run the result through an image resizer or compressor afterwards.
About this tool
This tool turns any picture into a mosaic of square blocks. Drop in an image, drag the pixel size slider, and watch the preview update live — from a subtle texture at small values to bold, abstract blocks at large ones. When the effect looks right, download the result as a PNG or JPG at the original width and height of your image.
The pixelation runs entirely in your browser. The image is drawn onto an HTML canvas, scaled down so each future block becomes a single pixel, then scaled back up with smoothing disabled — a standard technique that averages the colors inside every block. Because all of this happens on your device, the photo is never uploaded, nothing is stored on a server, and the tool works offline once the page has loaded.
Pixelation has two very different jobs. The first is style: retro game-inspired artwork, mosaic backgrounds for slides and posters, profile pictures with an abstract feel, or softening a busy photo so overlaid text stays readable. The second is privacy: obscuring faces, license plates or bystanders in a photo before sharing it. For stylistic work, small to medium block sizes keep the subject recognizable; for privacy, go considerably larger.
A practical warning for privacy use: pixelated text can sometimes be reconstructed when the blocks are small, because each block’s average color leaks information about the characters underneath. If you are hiding a password, address or account number, either push the pixel size until no stroke shapes survive or use a solid bar instead. For everything else, the slider is the whole workflow — drag until it looks right, then download.