Online Image Blur Tool

Gaussian and mosaic blur modes

The blur tool softens or hides parts of an image. It offers two modes from a dropdown: Gaussian blur, a smooth, feathered softening, and mosaic, a blocky pixelated hide. An intensity slider from 1 to 50 (default 5) controls the strength - larger values mean a stronger Gaussian blur or larger mosaic blocks.

The classic mode applies across the whole image, which is the standard way to make a soft background for a web banner or presentation slide. For hiding sensitive areas, the mosaic mode is the more legible choice because it removes recognisable detail rather than just softening it.

• Gaussian mode: smooth, feathered softening.
• Mosaic mode: blocky pixelated anonymisation.
• Intensity slider: 1 to 50, default 5.
• Classic mode blurs the whole frame.

Portrait depth blur (Beta)

An opt-in toggle switches on a Beta portrait depth mode. When enabled, an on-device person segmentation model detects the subject and keeps the person sharp while blurring only the background, mimicking a camera depth-of-field effect. A background-strength slider (4 to 40, default 14) sets how heavy that background blur is.

This Beta engine loads only after you flip the toggle, and if the on-device model cannot run on the photo, the tool shows a toast and falls back to the classic whole-frame blur, so you are never left with a broken result. The toggle preference is remembered locally.

Step by step and privacy

Blurring is the standard treatment for anonymised faces, licence plates and receipts in screenshots, and because the whole process runs locally the photo never leaves the browser. For hard square anonymisation instead of soft blur, the pixelate tool gives more control over which regions are covered.

1. Upload a JPG, PNG or WebP picture.
2. Choose Gaussian or mosaic from the mode dropdown.
3. Drag the intensity slider to the strength you want.
4. Optionally switch on the Beta portrait depth toggle and set background strength.
5. Press blur and download the result.

Gaussian vs mosaic, and the portrait-depth fallback

Choose Gaussian when you want a soft, photographic look - blurred backgrounds for a web banner, a faded backdrop behind text, or a deliberate depth-of-field feel. Choose mosaic when you need to remove recognisable detail entirely, because a soft Gaussian blur of a face or number plate can still be partially read. The intensity slider maps to both modes: larger values mean a wider Gaussian kernel or bigger mosaic cells, so the same dial works whether you are softening or hiding.

The Beta portrait depth mode is an on-device convenience: it segments the person, keeps them sharp, and blurs the background only to the strength you set. If the on-device model is unavailable on the photo, the tool toasts the failure and falls back to classic whole-frame Gaussian, so you always get a file rather than a broken result. Nothing about the detection leaves the browser.

• Gaussian for soft backgrounds; mosaic for full anonymisation.
• Intensity 1-50: wider kernel in Gaussian, larger cells in mosaic.
• Portrait depth keeps the subject sharp, blurs the background.
• Any model failure falls back to classic blur, never a blank result.
• Use mosaic for faces and licence plates, Gaussian for soft banners.
• The whole operation runs in the browser; nothing is uploaded.
• The portrait-depth toggle remembers your preference between visits.
• A heavy Gaussian on a whole image is also the standard way to build a soft web or presentation background behind text.
• Mosaic mode makes licence plates and receipts unreadable where soft blur would still leak detail.

Blur and Mosaic: Two Ways to Hide or Soften

Blurring reduces fine detail in an image. PixlReady offers a smooth Gaussian blur for softening backgrounds and a mosaic (pixelation) mode for completely obscuring sensitive information, both applied locally in your browser. Gaussian blur blends neighboring pixels for a natural, dreamy look, while mosaic replaces regions with solid blocks that cannot be sharpened back into focus.

Adjust the intensity with a live preview, then export at full resolution. Use blur for aesthetics and depth; use mosaic when you need to irreversibly hide a face, a license plate, an address or payment details before sharing a screenshot or photo.

Tips for best results

• Use Gaussian blur for portraits and backgrounds; switch to mosaic for information that must be unreadable.
• Raise the intensity enough that text or faces cannot be recovered; light blur can sometimes be reversed.
• Apply blur before compressing so the hidden detail is not preserved in the original file.
• Pair the result with the pixelate tool when different areas need different levels of hiding.

Common use cases

• Protecting privacy in screenshots, documents and street photos
• Creating soft backgrounds for product shots and portraits
• Adding depth behind text in thumbnails and banners
• Anonymizing evidence or support screenshots before sending them

Frequently Asked Questions