Why blurring sensitive text isn't enough
Blurred and pixelated text looks hidden, but it often isn't. What visual obscuring actually does to your pixels, why it can be reversed, and what secure redaction means.
6 min read · Reviewed July 2026
Redact Image
Permanently replace sensitive pixels with solid color — verified at export, processed only on your device.
Processed locallyIn: PNG, JPEG, WebPOut: PNG, JPEG, WebP
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How to use redact image
Drop or select an image — it opens locally in the editor.
Draw rectangles over sensitive content in Secure Black, Secure White, or Custom Solid mode.
Optionally switch to Blur or Pixelate for non-confidential cosmetic obscuring (a persistent warning explains the difference).
Review the region list, then export. The final image is rasterized into brand-new pixels.
The tool re-decodes the output and verifies every secure region contains only replacement pixels before offering the download.
What this tool does
- Secure Black, Secure White, and Custom Solid redaction modes
- Blur and Pixelate visual-obscuring modes, clearly labelled as non-secure
- Editable region list with per-region mode, delete, and one-click convert-to-secure
- One-click conversion of all blur/pixelate regions to secure solid redaction
- Pixel-level verification that secure regions contain only the replacement color
- Metadata (EXIF/GPS) is not carried into the exported image
How the result is verified
After export the tool decodes the output bytes again and samples every secure region to confirm the pixels exactly match the replacement color, and confirms the output carries no EXIF metadata. If any check fails, the download is blocked and marked Failed verification.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between secure redaction and blur?
Secure redaction destructively replaces the original pixels with a solid color — the covered information is gone from the exported file. Blur and pixelation rearrange the original pixels, and research has shown blurred or pixelated text can sometimes be reconstructed. This tool labels them differently and warns you whenever a non-secure effect covers your image.
Does redacting also remove metadata like GPS location?
Yes. The export pipeline draws your image into a fresh canvas and encodes brand-new bytes, which does not carry EXIF, GPS, or thumbnail metadata from the source. The verifier additionally rescans the output to confirm no metadata blocks remain.
Is my file uploaded to a server?
No. The file is opened with your browser's File API and processed by code running in your tab. You can confirm this yourself: open your browser's developer tools, watch the Network panel, and process a file — no request carries your file's bytes. See our How it works page for a step-by-step verification guide.
Task-specific versions of this tool
The same local tool, preconfigured for a specific job.
Understand the format
Technical guidance, limitations, and safer workflows related to this tool.
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