Image tools

Pixelate image

Pixelate an image online with square mosaic blocks. Apply the effect to a whole photo or draw rectangles over selected areas, adjust the block size and download at the original dimensions — free, in your browser.

Image preview

Opening local files, editing and downloading are free and stay in your browser. No account or credits needed.

Image pixelation before and after

Portrait at an outdoor café before image pixelation
The same café portrait with a rectangular mosaic over the face

One rectangle adds mosaic blocks over the face while the blue shirt and café background stay unchanged. Adjust the block size or add another area to try it.

How to pixelate a photo

  1. Open an image

    Choose a JPEG, PNG or WebP from your device, or drag it into the preview. Signed-in users can also open an existing library image. Local files are read without uploading.

  2. Choose where to add mosaic blocks

    Select the whole image or switch to selected areas and draw rectangles. Adjust block size while checking the preview. Add another rectangle, undo the last one or clear the selection to start again.

  3. Compare and download

    Compare the result with the original, then choose PNG, JPEG or WebP. The download keeps the original width and height, even when the editing preview is smaller.

Control the mosaic photo effect

Whole photo or selected rectangles

Whole-image mode turns the photo into a grid of solid square color blocks. Selected-area mode applies that same mosaic only inside the rectangles you draw, leaving the surrounding image unchanged. Multiple rectangles let you work on separate parts of a photo. The tool does not detect faces or objects, and it has no freehand brush.

Set the size of the pixels

Block size runs from 0.5% to 20% of the image's shorter edge. Small blocks keep more detail; larger blocks make a coarser mosaic. Add up to 20 rectangles by dragging or with Add centered area, then set position and size numerically. Undo removes the last rectangle; clearing removes all areas.

Keep dimensions and transparency

Pixelation changes the image colors while preserving pixel transparency and canvas dimensions. PNG keeps the processed pixels without lossy compression. JPEG and WebP use lossy compression, and JPEG fills transparent areas with white. The downloaded file does not retain the original metadata.

Image pixelator questions

Yes. Opening a local image, applying the mosaic and downloading require no account or credits. The tool adds no watermark. Signing in is only needed if you want to browse your existing YouArt library.