In this guide, we have collected all programs for Windows and free apps for Android and iPhone with which we can add a blur or pixelated effect to our images so that we can publish them without problems on Facebook, share them by covering data or making people unrecognizable on a website or in a chat without worrying about the privacy aspect.READ ALSO: Pixelate or Blur a photo to cover faces or writings
How to censor a photo with blur or pixels
In the following chapters, we will talk about both free photo editing programs for computers (able to add blur or pixels to any photo) and free downloadable apps on smartphones and tablets, so you can act immediately after taking a group photo or a photo on which there are elements or people to protect.
How to censor a photo from a PC
The first program that we recommend you to try to censor the photo is GIMP, the best free photo editing program.
To censor a photo we install the application, drag the photo into the interface, select the part to be censored with the tools Rectangular selection or Elliptical selection (on the left side) and, as soon as the contours for the part to be censored are well highlighted, we press upon filters, then on Blur and finally, we press on Pixel effect.
A window will open with the filter settings, which will be immediately applied to the area we selected with the tools seen above. We change the filter settings to make it even more effective then we conclude the changes by pressing on OK, then on the menu File and finally on Export as, so you can create a new copy of the image with censorship applied.
If we are looking for something even more convenient and faster to be able to censor a photo or an image, we can use the ShareX tool, which was born as a free tool to capture screenshots of the screen but which offers a very complete image editor. To immediately use the ShareX editor on any image on the computer, open the program, press the icon at the bottom right (in the system tray), click on the item Application settings then let’s go to the Integration menu, where we can activate the item Show “Edit with ShareX” button in Windows Explorer context menu.
We confirm the change and go to the folder where the photo or image to be censored is present, press on it with the right mouse button and finally click on Edit with ShareX.
In the editor that will open we use the keys Effect: Pixel is Effect: Blurs, select the area to be obscured or censored, and, as soon as we are satisfied with the result, press the button at the top Save Image As.
All we have to do is choose a name and a folder to save the new censored file.
If we want to discover other useful photo editing programs to censor a photo and add pixel and blur effects, we can read our guide The best free programs for photo editing and graphics.
How to censor a photo from smartphones and tablets
Do we want to add blur and pixels for privacy directly on photos taken with the camera of our smartphone or tablet? No problem, there are many apps dedicated to the purpose!
The first app that we recommend you use is Mosaic Pixelate Censor Photo, available for free for Android.
By opening the photo with the app indicated, we can choose between the blur, pixel, and black strip effect, to be applied completely automatically on the faces or areas of the photo that we want to censor. The intensity of the effect can be chosen by adjusting the slide immediately below the image, so as to make the face or the area to be hidden even more unrecognizable.
Another app that we can try to censor a photo is Point Blur, which is also available for free for Android.
The app looks like a real professional editor, to be used to censor some parts of the image (with blur or pixel effect) but that we can also use to automatically hide the background of the photo, so as to recreate a very pleasant effect for photos to share on social media.
If, on the other hand, we are looking for something for Apple devices, we orient ourselves on the Blur and mosaic app, available free for iPhone and iPad.
The app offers different blur and pixel tools, which we can customize for each area or for each selection that can be activated on the screen.
A valid alternative to the app seen previously is Blur Photo, also available for free for iPhone and iPad.
The app allows you to add a wide variety of blurs and effects for privacy with a simple touch of the finger on the part to be protected: the app will apply and extend the effect completely automatically so that it can also be used by users impractical with photo editing.
If we want to try other photo editing apps to censor photos, we invite you to read our guides Best App to Edit Photos on Android is Best App to edit photos on iPhone with filters and effects.
Conclusions
Whatever the reason why we want to protect the privacy of our photos, with the suggestions we have offered you we will be able to protect children’s faces or sensitive data (not to be displayed publicly) by applying a blur or pixel effect from both PC and mobile devices.
Do we want to edit photos online, without having to download any programs or apps? To follow this path, just read our articles Photoshop online and similar apps to retouch photos and edit images is Best sites to edit photos online.