Retro game looks, playful mosaics and quick privacy cover-ups all start with big colour blocks. The free ToolXoX Pixelate tool turns a photo into a mosaic so you can pick a block size, preview it, and download PNG or JPG without installing anything.
When Pixelate Fits
Use it when you want visible squares on purpose, not a soft blur. Typical jobs:
- Retro or 8-bit style for thumbnails and social posts.
- Mosaic backgrounds that hide busy detail behind text.
- Privacy cover-ups where faces or plate numbers should become unreadable blocks.
- Teaching demos that show how block size changes readability.
For anything truly sensitive, light pixelation isn't enough on its own. Weak mosaics of large, clear faces or text can sometimes be partly reconstructed. Prefer large blocks, or a solid cover, when you need a strong hide.
What You Get on Pixelate
On the tool page you upload an image, set Block size with the slider (0 to 100, default around 20), click Pixelate Image, preview the mosaic, then choose Download - PNG or Download - JPG. Free to use, no signup, nothing to install. It works on phone and computer.
Smaller blocks keep more of the scene readable. Larger blocks give a stronger retro look and hide more detail. Move the slider until faces or text cross the line you need, then download.
How to Pixelate an Image
1. Choose the photo. Crop first if only part of the frame should become blocks.
2. Open the Pixelate tool on ToolXoX on your phone or computer.
3. Upload the file and set Block size. Start near the default 20, raise for coarser squares, or lower for a milder mosaic.
4. Click Pixelate Image and check the preview at full size on faces, plates or text you care about.
5. Download PNG when you want crisp block edges, or JPG when a smaller file is enough.
Save with a clear name that includes the block size, like street-block-40.png.
Block Size for Style Versus Privacy
Style mosaics can stay fairly fine. Privacy cover-ups usually need much larger squares so eyes, lips and lettering aren't readable at a glance.
- Style: mid block sizes that still hint at the original scene.
- Privacy: large blocks that make faces and private text unreadable when zoomed.
Always zoom the sensitive area after you download. A mosaic that looks safe as a thumbnail can still show too much at full size. If detail remains, raise Block size and run Pixelate Image again, or cover the area with a solid fill. When in doubt, go coarser. You can always make a milder mosaic from the original, but you can't take back a file that still showed a face.
Source Tips
- Crop first when only a face or plate should be blocked.
- Prefer sharper files for style work so the mosaic reads as intentional squares.
- Don't rely on tiny blocks for legal or workplace privacy needs.
A product-shot mosaic for a thumbnail often lands in one pass. A privacy cover-up of a high-resolution face usually needs a higher Block size than your first guess.
Conclusion
For a retro look, keep the blocks small enough that the scene still reads. For privacy, push Block size up until faces and text are gone at full zoom, not just in the thumbnail. Either way, it only takes a few tries to get right.
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