How do I blur a license plate in a photo?

Use the Blur Brush (Q) with a high strength and paint over the plate in several passes, then check it at 100% zoom.

Is blurring enough to hide text?

A heavy blur or Pixelate makes ordinary text unreadable. For anything sensitive, cover it with a solid fill.

Social Media Intermediate 4 min read Updated Oct 23, 2026 Pluto Photos 2.5.2

How to Hide House Numbers, License Plates and Signs in a Photo

Short answer

Hover over the Blur Brush (Q) and choose Blur or Pixelate, set a brush size and a high strength, and paint over the plate, number or sign in several passes. Faces have their own one-click tool.

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#1. Find what gives your location away

Look at the whole photo, not just the subject. In this example a house number and a street name sign are both readable. (They're made-up test text, not a real address.)

A close-up of a white house number plate reading No. 24, sharp and readable — The house number is readable.

#2. Choose the Blur Brush

Hover over the Blur Brush (Q) in the toolbar to open the Blur or Pixelate menu. Blur softens, and Pixelate turns the area into blocks.

The Blur or Pixelate menu next to the toolbar with Blur and Pixelate choices — Blur or Pixelate.

#3. Set a big brush and a high strength

The options bar has Brush Size, Hardness and Strength. Use a brush a little larger than the text and a high strength. The tip in the bar says repeated passes get stronger.

The Blur Brush options bar with Brush Size, Hardness and Strength sliders — The Blur Brush options.

#4. Paint over it several times

Paint over the text with overlapping strokes. Each stroke is added to History. Keep going until the characters can't be read, then zoom in to 100% to check. For stronger protection, use Pixelate.

The same close-up after blurring: the number plate is a soft smear and the text cannot be read — After: nothing is readable.

#5. Check the whole photo and save

Look for anything else that's readable, like a second plate or a name on a mailbox. Then click Save as Copy. The copy carries no location data by default.

The full photo of a yellow building with a bicycle, with the house number and street sign blurred — The finished photo.

#Tips

Software can sometimes undo a light blur, so go heavy or use Pixelate for anything sensitive.
For people, the Safe Share face tool finds every face in one click.
A solid black box is the safest option. Fill a selection with a solid color if you need to be certain.

#Questions

How do I blur a license plate in a photo?: Use the Blur Brush (Q) with a high strength and paint over the plate in several passes, then check it at 100% zoom.
Is blurring enough to hide text?: A heavy blur or Pixelate makes ordinary text unreadable. For anything sensitive, cover it with a solid fill.

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