When is pixelation better than blur?
Pixelation is better when you want the edit to look more explicit and obviously redacted rather than softened.
Does this run locally in the browser?
Yes. The image stays on the device while you pixelate the selected area and export the result.
Can I pixelate multiple areas?
Yes. You can apply repeated rectangular pixelation edits before exporting the final image.
Can pixelated text be unscrambled?
Yes, and it has been demonstrated publicly. Pixelation averages each block, which is a known and deterministic transform. Software can render candidate text in the same font, pixelate it with the same grid, and find the string whose block averages match. Do not pixelate anything that must stay secret.
What block size is safe?
None, for text. Larger blocks make recovery harder and a block several times the character height destroys most of the signal, but the honest answer is that if the content matters, use an opaque box, which removes the information rather than averaging it.
When should I use pixelation rather than a box?
When you want the viewer to see that something was there. Pixelation reads as a deliberate editorial choice on a face or a plate. A black box is a redaction and looks like one.
Does the exported file hide the original pixels underneath?
There is nothing underneath. The pixelation is painted onto the canvas over the source pixels and the file is re-encoded from that canvas, so the export contains only the final image with no layers and no recoverable original.
Is the image processed on a server?
No. Decoding, pixelation and export all happen in your browser.