How to blur faces in a photo before posting

Start here

Open Share-Safe Photo Check (nothing is uploaded): /share-safe/

Why blur faces before you post

A face in a photo can identify a person, and that includes children and bystanders who never agreed to be online.

Example (fictional): you photograph a birthday party in a park and post it. Three guests and a passer-by are recognisable. Blurring takes a minute and lets you share the moment without sharing them.

Step by step

1. Check who is in the photo. Ask whether you have the right to post it, and whether each person (or a parent) would be fine with it. When in doubt, blur or leave the photo out.
2. Open Share-Safe Photo Check at /share-safe/ and choose your photo. It opens on your device and nothing is uploaded: you can confirm that in your browser's network tab.
3. Cover each face with the brush or box tool. Use a solid box for children and for sensitive situations.
4. Remove hidden data too. Photos can carry GPS location, camera and date.
5. Download the clean copy from Share-Safe: re-saving drops these tags. Check the result before sharing, or use /exif-stripper/ on its own.
6. Re-check the saved photo. Zoom in on every face and look for anything you missed, such as reflections, name tags or a street sign.

Blur or box?

A light blur can sometimes be partly reversed with software, and a pixelated face can still be recognised by people who know the person. A solid box removes the pixels completely, so choose it whenever the person's safety or privacy matters.

What the GDPR says, briefly

The GDPR does not apply to purely personal or household activity, but this exemption is narrow. Posting a photo publicly, for example on an open profile or for a business, can fall outside it. This guide is not legal advice. If you post for a business or organisation in the EU, check the rules with your data protection officer or your national data protection authority.