How to redact an image with Image Privacy Editor
Load one or more images, mark the sensitive areas, and review each region before export. Choose Blur, Pixelate, Solid fill, or Edge crop. The editor creates a redacted image and a JSON redaction manifest in the browser; face detection only proposes regions for you to approve.
- Drop images here, or click browse files, then choose an image file in JPG, PNG, WEBP, GIF, or BMP format.
- Click Suggest faces when it is available. For each proposal, choose Accept or Dismiss. Accept all and Dismiss all handle the whole suggestion list.
- Choose a method under Draw a new region, click Draw on image, and drag a rectangle over the area to redact.
- Set Radius, Block size, or Color for the selected region. Edit shape, Move up, Move down, and Remove region change the region list.
- Check "I have reviewed every region on this image, including any accepted face suggestions, and confirm they fully cover what I intend to redact." Then click Apply & export this image.
- Use Download image or Download redaction manifest for an exported file. Repeat the process for other files, then click Download all as ZIP.
How to blur faces or pixelate license plates
Choose Blur and adjust Radius to soften a region. Pixelate replaces detail with blocks set by Block size. Solid fill paints the selected rectangle with Color. Edge crop removes pixels from an image edge.
Input: face region, Blur, Radius 30px
Output: the same image with that region blurredThe exported pixels keep the chosen effect. Light Blur or light Pixelate can sometimes be partly reconstructed, so inspect the preview before exporting.
What Edge crop changes
Edge crop changes the output dimensions by removing pixels from an image edge. The region must reach that edge and span its full width or height. A smaller edge rectangle is skipped and marked in the redaction manifest. Edge crops apply last.
How face suggestions and review work
Suggest faces works only when the browser exposes local face detection. It creates proposals; Accept or Accept all turns a proposal into a Blur region. Dismiss and Dismiss all remove proposals.
Drawing, editing, changing a method or setting, moving or removing a region, or accepting a suggestion clears the review checkbox. Export stays unavailable until the current image has a region and the checkbox is checked.
What the output format and manifest contain
Output format has PNG with lossless alpha, WebP with alpha, and JPEG without alpha. Quality appears for WebP and JPEG between 1% and 100%. Apply & export this image creates the image and a JSON redaction manifest with each method, region coordinates, source, and image dimensions.
The manifest records the edit and contains no original pixels, so it cannot reverse the redaction. The tool does not inspect or remove EXIF, GPS, IPTC, or XMP metadata.
Where image redaction comes up
- A photographer preparing a street scene can blur or pixelate faces before sending the image to a client.
- A vehicle owner can cover a license plate or house number in a listing photo, then download the redacted image.
- A support agent can fill account numbers in a screenshot and keep the redaction manifest with the exported file for review.
When to use Image Privacy Editor
Use Image Privacy Editor when you need drawn regions, a required review step, and a manifest for the redacted output. The parent Image Clean Tools category groups tools for blurring or redacting faces, plates, and other sensitive areas.
Frequently asked questions
How do I redact a face in an image?
Load the image, draw a region over the face, choose Blur, Pixelate, or Solid fill, review it, and click Apply & export this image. Suggest faces can propose regions when local face detection is supported, but you must accept and review each one.
Can I pixelate a license plate in a photo?
Yes. Choose Pixelate, click Draw on image, drag over the plate, and adjust Block size before reviewing and exporting.
Can I crop a sensitive area out of an image?
Yes, Edge crop removes pixels from an image edge and changes the output dimensions. The region must reach that edge and span the required full width or height, or export skips it.
Does Image Privacy Editor remove EXIF or GPS data?
No. The tool does not inspect or remove EXIF, GPS, IPTC, or XMP metadata. Use a separate metadata tool when you need to remove it.
Are images uploaded when I redact them?
No. Image loading, rendering, face suggestions, redaction, and export use the browser, and the code makes no request containing the image.