# Face Blur — Hide Faces in Photos, Locally

> Blur faces in a photo — auto-detect where your browser can, or draw boxes yourself. Download a clean copy. Runs locally, nothing is uploaded.

Source: https://toolpantry.app/face-blur

## About

Auto-detect faces where your browser supports it, or draw boxes yourself — then download the blurred result. Nothing leaves your device.

## Quick answer

How do I blur faces in a photo online? Add the photo, press "Detect faces" (Chrome-based browsers) or drag a box over each face, set the blur strength, and download. The image never leaves your browser.

## How to blur faces in a photo

1. **Add the photo** — it renders locally; nothing is uploaded.
2. **Find the faces** — press Detect faces in Chrome-based browsers, or drag a box over each face manually (boxes snap to your drag, add as many as you need).
3. **Set the strength and download** — 16px is a good default for full-resolution photos; heavier blur for larger images.

## Blur vs pixelate vs cover

- **Blur** — natural-looking, good for casual privacy (group photos, social posts)
- **Solid cover** — strongest; researchers have "unblurred" faces from weak blur in controlled cases, so for high-stakes anonymity cover the face completely
- **Why not both?** For most everyday sharing, a strong blur (20px+) on a high-resolution photo is unrecognizable to people and matching software alike

## Good to know

The blur is baked into the downloaded copy — the original file on your device is untouched. Photos shared afterward can still carry EXIF metadata (including GPS); the [EXIF viewer](https://toolpantry.app/exif-viewer.html) shows what's inside and can strip it. Need the file smaller for sharing? Run it through the [1 MB compressor](https://toolpantry.app/compress-image-to-1mb.html) or [JPG to WebP](https://toolpantry.app/jpg-to-webp.html) — both also drop metadata.

## Notes

Drag on the photo to add a blur box; drag again to add more. On browsers without built-in face detection, manual boxes do the same job — the blur strength slider is the same either way.

## FAQ

**How do I blur a face in a photo?**

Add the photo, then either press Detect faces (supported in Chrome-based browsers) or drag a box over each face. Adjust the blur strength and download. Everything happens in your browser.

**Does auto-detect work in every browser?**

Face detection uses your browser's built-in detector — available in Chrome and other Chromium browsers. In Safari and Firefox, draw the boxes manually; the blur itself works everywhere.

**Is blurring enough to protect identity?**

A strong blur makes a face unrecognizable to people and to most automated matching. For high-stakes anonymity, cover with a solid shape instead of blur — extreme unblurring research targets blur specifically.

**Is the photo uploaded?**

No. Detection, blurring, and downloading all happen in your browser tab.