How to Pixelate Sensitive Information in an Image Safely

Guide · 6 min read · updated 2026-10-16 · Leer en español

You're about to post a screenshot, send a photo of a receipt, or share an image that shows a license plate, an ID number, or the face of someone who doesn't want to appear. Before sending it, you should hide that information. Pixelating is one of the quickest ways, but it has a secret almost nobody mentions: if it's done too lightly, the content can still be guessed. In this guide you'll see how to pixelate properly with Rayo PDF GO, when it's enough, and when a safer alternative is better.

How to Pixelate Sensitive Information in an Image Safely

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When you should hide information in an image

It's more common than it seems. A screenshot of a conversation can show phone numbers and names. A photo of an invoice includes addresses and figures. A selfie on the street reveals license plates and other people's faces. A photographed document contains ID numbers nobody should see unnecessarily.

Hiding that information before sharing reduces risks like identity theft, fraud, or simply exposing people who didn't consent to appear. It's also a matter of courtesy: pixelating the face of a minor or a stranger is good practice.

Think of the image as a piece of paper that's going to circulate out of your control. Everything it shows can end up in hands you don't expect.

A good habit is to review any image before sending it with a simple question: if it falls into the wrong hands, what could they do with what it shows? If the answer makes you uncomfortable, hide it before sharing.

What pixelating is and how it works

Pixelating means replacing an area of the image with a grid of large blocks, each one with an average color of what was underneath. The result is the mosaic effect you see on the news when a face or license plate is hidden.

The blocks act as a loss of information: the bigger they are, the less detail remains. A small block keeps the general shape of what was underneath; a large block makes it unrecognizable.

It's not the same as blurring. Blur mixes pixels smoothly and, depending on its strength, can be easier to try to reverse. Pixelation with large blocks is usually more decisive, although neither is magic if applied with low intensity.

Step by step: how to pixelate in Rayo PDF GO

1) Open the Pixelate tool. On the web, go to rayopdfgo.com/app with your free account; on your phone or computer, open the app and choose the image tools.

2) Select the image and mark the area you want to hide: a face, a license plate, a number, or an address.

3) Adjust the pixelation intensity. Increase the block size until it's impossible to guess what was underneath, and check the zoomed-in preview.

4) Save the resulting image. Your original isn't modified, so be careful to send the pixelated version and not the original. Everything happens on your device.

If you pick the wrong area, no problem: go back to the original image and repeat the process. It's better to do it three times than to send a doubtful version.

The most dangerous mistake: pixelating too lightly

Very light pixelation can give a false sense of security. If the blocks are small and the text was large and clear, you can sometimes still make out the digits or the shape of the letters, especially if the rest of the document offers clues about what it might have said.

The practical rule is that the result must be unreadable even to you. If, looking at the image, you still suspect what it said, someone else could guess it even better. Raise the intensity until no trace of the original content remains.

For truly critical data, such as ID numbers, bank accounts, passwords, or keys, the safest approach is to cover it with an opaque solid-color block, or crop out the part of the image where it appears, instead of relying on pixelation alone.

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Hiding faces and license plates

On faces, pixelation works well as long as it covers the entire face, not just the eyes. Cover from the forehead to the chin and a bit more than seems necessary, to keep hair, clothing, or tattoos from allowing the person to be recognized.

On vehicle license plates, pixelate the whole plate and check that no character remains visible. If the photo is low resolution, you may not need to pixelate much, but when in doubt, add intensity.

Remember that sometimes a person can be recognized by other details: a context, a garment, or a very distinctive object. If anonymity matters, consider cropping the photo or choosing a different image.

A useful check is to look at the image shrunk down, the way the recipient will see it in a chat. If at that size you can no longer make anything out, you're doing well; if something looks recognizable, increase the intensity.

Three real situations and how to handle them

A person selling a used phone has to show a screenshot of the payment received. The image shows their full name, their account number, and the balance. They pixelate the number and the balance with large blocks, leave the amount and date visible, and send only that version.

A parent shares in a group chat a photo of a school activity where other children appear. He pixelates the faces of the kids who aren't his, broadly, and posts without exposing anyone who hasn't given permission.

An employee receives a question about a contract and needs to show a photo of the page, but doesn't want to reveal the client's details. She covers names and figures, checks the zoomed-in image, and then shares it with her team. In all three cases, the key is to hide too much rather than too little.

Screenshots, receipts, and documents

In screenshots, hide names, emails, phone numbers, addresses, and any verification code. Even if it seems harmless, a visible code can allow unauthorized access.

On receipts and invoices, cover card numbers, addresses, and contact details if you only need to show an amount or a date. On identity documents, hide everything the recipient doesn't need for the procedure.

If you're working with a PDF rather than an image, there's another tool designed for that: Redact PDF, which permanently redacts the content. For images and screenshots, Pixelate is the right one.

Common mistakes when hiding information

The first is accidentally sending the original file instead of the pixelated one. Give the edited file a clear name, like receipt-hidden, so you don't make a mistake.

The second is not checking the whole image. Data can be in a reflection, in the background, in the corner of a screen, or even in the file name. Look at the zoomed-in image before sending it.

The third is forgetting metadata. Photos can carry information such as the date or place they were taken, which doesn't appear in the image but travels with the file. Keep this in mind when you share sensitive images. And the fourth is pixelating and leaving the text legible somewhere else in the image.

Finally, if you share the image in a work setting, ask whether the person receiving it really needs to see that data. Often the answer is no, and then the cleanest thing is to hide it completely. Sharing only what's necessary is the best privacy policy you can apply to any file.

Privacy: why do it on your device

It's contradictory to upload an image with sensitive data to an unknown site in order to hide it. At that moment you've already shared exactly what you wanted to protect, and you don't know who will keep the file or for how long.

With Rayo PDF GO, the image is processed on your device and isn't uploaded to any server. The unhidden version never leaves your hands, which significantly reduces the risk of a leak.

Keep the original in a safe place and share only the pixelated version. If you later need the full content, you can go back to it without depending on anyone.

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Frequently asked questions

Is it safe to pixelate an ID number?

Only if the pixelation is strong enough that nothing is legible. For highly sensitive data, it's safer to cover it with a solid block or crop that area.

Can pixelation be reversed?

Pixelation with large blocks truly removes information and it can't be recovered. A light one over clear text can leave clues, which is why you should use large blocks.

Which is better, pixelating or blurring?

Pixelation with large blocks is usually more decisive. A light blur can be less safe. In both cases, intensity is what counts.

Can I pixelate an area of a PDF?

For PDFs there's Redact PDF, which does a permanent redaction. Pixelate is designed for photos and screenshots.

Is my image uploaded to a server?

No. Rayo PDF GO processes the image on your device.

Should I pixelate other people's faces?

It's good practice when you don't have their consent, and in some cases it's a legal requirement. Check the rules in your country.