Pixelate Image
Turn a picture into blocks, with a slider for how big they are.
How to pixelate an image
Add your image
Drop a JPG, PNG, or WebP onto the tool, click to browse, or paste one from your clipboard. The effect applies straight away.
Set the block size
Drag the slider between 2 and 120 pixels. Bigger blocks hide more detail, and the preview updates as you move it.
Download the result
Click Download image to save the file in the format it arrived in, at the original pixel dimensions.
Why use this tool
Block size you can dial in
Anything from a light 2 pixel grid to 120 pixel slabs, updating live so you can stop at the point where the detail is gone but the shape still reads.
Hard edges, no smudging
Each block is a single flat color with no smoothing between neighbours, which is what makes the result look deliberately blocky rather than badly resized.
Same size in, same size out
The image keeps its pixel dimensions, so a pixelated version drops straight into the layout the original came from.
Transparency is preserved
PNG and WebP sources keep their alpha channel, so a pixelated cutout still has transparent surroundings.
Nothing is uploaded
The effect runs on your device with no account, no queue, and no watermark.
About this tool
Pixelating works by throwing away resolution on purpose: the image is shrunk until each block of pixels collapses into a single averaged color, then scaled back up with smoothing switched off so every block stays a hard-edged square. Larger blocks mean fewer of them, and less of the original detail survives.
The main uses are stylistic. A heavily pixelated portrait reads as an avatar or a retro game sprite, a lightly pixelated background makes a decent placeholder while a real image loads, and a mid-range setting turns a busy photograph into something abstract enough to sit behind text. The slider covers all three because the right block size depends entirely on how large the image is to begin with.
This tool applies the effect to the whole image rather than a selected region, so it is a styling tool rather than a redaction tool. If you need to obscure something specific, crop the sensitive part out with the image cropper before sharing, since a pixelated area is still an approximation of what was there. For a softer treatment of the same kind, the blur tool is the counterpart, and the image compressor will shrink the finished file.
Frequently asked questions
- How do I pixelate an image?
- Drop the image into the box. It is pixelated immediately at a default block size, and the slider lets you make the blocks larger or smaller before downloading.
- Can I pixelate only part of the image?
- No. The effect covers the whole image. To remove something sensitive, crop it out rather than relying on an effect applied over the top.
- Does the image lose resolution?
- The file keeps its original pixel dimensions. The detail inside those pixels is what gets thrown away, and larger blocks throw away more of it.
- Which formats can I use?
- JPG, PNG, and WebP. The result is saved in the same format it arrived in, so transparency in a PNG or WebP is preserved.
- Are my images uploaded anywhere?
- No. Everything happens in your browser and the file is never sent to a server.
Related tools
Blur Image
Soften a whole image, with a slider from barely there to heavy.
Image Cropper
Crop a photo to any size or a fixed aspect ratio, right in your browser.
Image Compressor
Shrink JPEG, PNG, and WebP images right in your browser. Choose a quality level, get a smaller file.
Background Remover
Cut the background out of a photo, then keep it transparent or swap in a solid color or your own photo, all in your browser.
Circle Crop Image
Crop a photo into a circle for a profile picture, corners empty.
Dead Pixel Test
Fill the screen with solid colours to find dead pixels, stuck subpixels, and uneven backlight.