How To Blur Face in Videos in 10 Effective Ways (2025)

Why use the blur face effect

Blurring faces in videos is like giving a virtual makeover to shield the real identities of individuals captured on your camera. This practice serves multifaceted purposes in the realm of video production. For example, a news reporter may need to blur the face of a rape victim for a news report; a filmmaker may want to use blurred faces in a trailer to arouse viewers' curiosity. The forthcoming section will guide you on how to blur faces in videos with the best tools available.

How to blur faces in a video on a desktop

You should find some desktop apps to blur faces in videos, especially when you create videos constantly and need to blur the faces in videos to protect privacy or for creative purposes. Below are some of the best desktop apps available for MacOS and Windows.

1. CapCut desktop video editor(MacOS and Windows)

CapCut desktop editor is an intuitive platform with various user-friendly features for video editing, making it easy for anyone to learn how to blur faces in CapCut with jsut a few clicks. You can freely explore its editing tools, from basic adjustments like trimming and cropping to advanced features like keyframe animation and speed curve. Wondering how to blur faces in videos in CapCut? Here are the steps for how to blur faces by using different effects of "Blur", "Face Mosaic" or "Phantom Face" in the CapCut desktop editor.

Before you begin, make sure you have installed CapCut on your windows or Mac compute.

METHOD 1
1. Use "Blur" Effect to Blur Faces 

STEP 1
1. Upload Video and Apply Blur Effect

• Launch CapCut, import your video, and drag it onto the timeline.
• Find the "Effects" on the top left side, apply the "Blur" effect, and adjust its duration to match the video.

• Once done, export the blurred video.

STEP 2
1. Re-upload and Position Blurred Video

• Select the purple blur bar and delete it.
• Import the blurred video and position it over the original video.
• Click on the "Mask" tab, select a shape (e.g., circle, rectangle), and adjust the size & position to cover the face.

STEP 3
1. Animate Mask Position

• If you want the Mask to follow the moving face, go to "Track mask" and then click "Track". CapCut will automatically move the Mask to track the face.

STEP 4
1. Export

• Once done, click "Export" to download the final video.

METHOD 2
1. Use "Face Mosaic" Effect to Blur Faces

STEP 1
1. Upload Video

• Launch CapCut, import your video, and drag it onto the timeline.

STEP 2
1. Apply the "Face Mosaic" Effect

• Go to "Effects" > "Body effects" and search for "Face Mosaic". Drag it onto the timeline and adjust its duration to match the length of the video.
• Adjust the Range and Size as needed.

• Go to "Mask", select an appropriate shape (e.g., circle), and drag it to the face you want to blur.

• If you want the Mask to follow the moving face, go to "Track mask" and then click "Track". CapCut will automatically move the Mask to track the face.

STEP 3
1. Export

• Once done, click "Export" to download the final video.

METHOD 3
1. Use "Phantom Face" Effect to Blur Faces

STEP 1
1. Upload Video

• Launch CapCut, import your video, and drag it onto the timeline.

STEP 2
1. Apply the "Phantom" Effect

• Go to "Effects" > "Body effects" and search for "Phantom Face". Drag it onto the timeline and adjust its duration to match the length of the video.
• Adjust the Rotate, Blur, and Speed as needed.

• Go to "Mask", select an appropriate shape (e.g., circle), and drag it to the face you want to blur.

• If you want the Mask to follow the moving face, go to "Track mask" and then click "Track". CapCut will automatically move the Mask to track the face.

STEP 3
1. Export

• Once done, click "Export" to download the final video.

2. Adobe Premiere Pro (MacOS and Windows)

This sophisticated video editing program, Adobe Premiere Pro, works with Windows and MacOS. It is widely used for its advanced features that cater to the needs of moviemakers, video editors, and content creators. With Premiere Pro, you can access a great collection of tools for editing, color correction, audio adjustments, and blur effects. By following the listed steps below, you can blur faces in videos in Premiere Pro:

STEP 1
1. Bring in the footage you want to edit.

STEP 2
1. Go to "Effects" > "Video Effects" > "Blur & Sharpen", find the "Gaussian Blur" effect, and drag it onto your footage.

STEP 3
1. In "Effect Controls", use the "Mask" tool to outline the area to blur. Adjust the mask's path over time to track the object's movement and animate it.

3. MiniTool MovieMaker(MacOS and Windows)

MiniTool MovieMaker is a user-friendly free video editor that facilitates simple video editing tasks on Windows PCs. The Blur effect is one of the notable features that adds quality to your videos. You can use it to protect identities, highlight focal points, or create a cinematic ambiance. Follow the steps below to blur faces in a video using MiniTool MovieMaker:

STEP 1
1. Upload your video to the editor.

STEP 2
1. Navigate to the "Elements" tab, select "Basic," and apply the "Mosaic effect." Adjust it and make any necessary edits.

STEP 3
1. Select the "Export" button to download your video.

4. iMovie (macOS)

iMovie is a native tool from Apple that is only accessible to macOS users. It has many features for editing videos, and it also allows you to blur individual frames easily. Here's how you blur a face in the iMovie desktop app.

STEP 1
1. In iMovie, create a project and enable "Show Advanced Tools" under "Preferences" > "General".

STEP 2
1. Use an app like CapCut or Photoshop to blur the desired faces on exported video frames. Adjust the blur effect to your satisfaction, and save them as transparent PNGs.

STEP 3
1. Import PNGs to iMovie. Place each image over its corresponding clip, use "Picture in Picture" to align it over the face, and adjust its duration to match the video.

STEP 4
1. Export the final video by clicking "Share" > "File," select your desired quality and resolution, and then click "Export." to save it.

How to blur faces in a video online

Here's a list of tools and detailed guidelines to show you how to blur faces online and offline on various platforms.

5. CapCut online video editor

CapCut online video editor is a great option if you're looking to blur faces in videos on line free, with no cost and an easy-to-use interface. With various blurring effects, you can protect privacy or add a stylish touch to your videos. For instance, you can blur faces in a surprise proposal video to keep it under wraps until the big reveal. Besides the blurring effects, it offers rich editing options for you to perfect every detail of your video, like trimming a clip for a seamless transition and adding text overlays, animations, filters, transitions, and more. Also, you can access a treasure trove of media resources – templates, stickers, music – to make it more personalized.

Further, its quick sharability to popular social media platforms such as TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter ensures your edited videos reach your audience quickly. Also, its cloud-based storage allows you to access any video draft on the go and collaborate with your team members for a streamlined workflow. Let's look at the following steps for how to blur faces in videos online using the CapCut online video editor.

STEP 1
1. Upload your video

• Upload your video to the CapCut online editor.
• Drag and drop files directly into the editor by choosing the "Drag and drop your files here" option;

• Or, use the "Upload" option to import from your device or cloud storage like Google Drive/Dropbox.

• Alternatively, use the "Scan with camera" option on your phone to upload via a QR code for a convenient, cable-free transfer.

STEP 2
1. Apply Blur Effect

• After uploading your files, click on the "Effects" tab and select the "Blur" effect. Drag the "Blur" effect to match the video length.

• Once done, click the "Export" button to download this fully blurred video.

STEP 3
1. Re-upload and Position Blurred Video

• Select the purple blur bar and delete it.
• Go to "Media" and click the "Upload" button to upload the blurred video into CapCut.
• Position this blurred video on top of the original video in the timeline (as show in the picture).

STEP 4
1. Apply Face Mask

• Select the blurred clip, open the "Basic" tools on the right side of the canvas, and choose the "Mask" tool.

• Position your preferred mask shape over the face you want to blur.
• Adjust its feather, size, position, and rotation as needed, then click "Done" to complete the face blur.

STEP 5
1. Animate Mask Position

• If you want the Mask to follow the moving face, move along the timeline to different frames and adjust the Mask’s Scale, Position (X/Y axis) and Rotate. The system will automatically record keyframes, allowing the Mask to move smoothly with the face.

STEP 6
1. Export or Share

• Click "Export" to share your video as a link for review, as a presentation, or download your video.
• You can share the video you have edited on various social media platforms, such as Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, etc.
• To download, name your file and adjust the resolution, quality, and frame rate, then click "Export" to start your download.

6. Flixier

The blur effect in Flixier is beneficial when hiding undesirable parts of your footage. Flixier's blur and pixelate effects can obscure sensitive information, blur out a license plate, or cover someone's face. Follow the following steps to add blur effect to your video:

STEP 1
1. Import your video clip and place it on the timeline.

STEP 2
1. From the "Library" menu, select "Shapes" and apply the "Square Mask" to your clip.

STEP 3
1. Customize the mask in the "Properties" menu by applying an effect like blur or pixelate, which will preview on the canvas.

7. Kapwing

Kawpwing is an advanced and powerful online video editing tool. This tool provides an easy-to-use blur effect on videos. Kapwing can blur out an entire video with just a few clicks.

Here are the steps for how to blur faces in videos online using Kapwing.

STEP 1
1. Upload your video from your device, URL, Google Drive, or via QR code.

STEP 2
1. In the "Edit" panel, use the "Blur" adjuster to set your desired blur level.

STEP 3
1. Click "Export Project" and choose your preferred format, quality, and resolution.

How to blur faces in a video on mobile

You must have also wondered how to blur faces in your videos with your mobile. Well, indeed, a few mobile apps can help blur faces in videos; and we've listed the best ones below.

8. CapCut mobile video editor (Android and iOS)

CapCut mobile app, a free app to blur faces, is available for Android and iOS platforms and is perfect for all skill levels. Whether you are an amateur or a professional, it is designed for anyone involved in video editing. With a user-friendly interface, it offers a range of features to enhance your videos.

Follow these steps and learn how to blur faces in videos.

STEP 1
1. Upload and Add Overlay

• Open a new project in CapCut and upload your video. Then, click "Overplay" and add the same video.

STEP 2
1. Apply Blur Effect and Mask

• Tap on the second video, swip through the bottom toolbar to select "Effect" > "Video effects" to add blur effect.
• Tap on the second video and swip through the bottom toolbar again to find the "Mask" button.
• Select a shape (e.g., circle) to blur the target area and adjust its position, size, and blur intensity.

STEP 3
1. Animate Mask Position

• If you want the Mask to follow the moving face, click the "Keyframe" button (as shown in the picture) on different frames along the timeline and adjust the Mask’s Position (X/Y axis), Size, Rotate, and Feather. The system will automatically record these keyframes, allowing the Mask to move smoothly along with the face.

STEP 4
1. Export or Share

• Once done, adjust the resolution, frame rate, and color rate, and then click on "Export".
• You can save the video to your device; or, share it on popular social media platforms such as TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.

9. MovStash (iOS)

MovStash is specifically designed for making mosaic/blur videos. It seamlessly supports iOS and has a straightforward interface for adding blur effects. It offers multiple blur options such as blur entire video, simple blur, blur with timeline, and face tracking mode. Follow these steps to add a face blur effect using MovStash:

STEP 1
1. Select the face tracking blur mode and upload the video.

STEP 2
1. After uploading the video, MovStash automatically recognizes the faces. Then, you can adjust the blur size, level, type, and inverse the area.

STEP 3
1. Press Save to export the video.

10. Power director (Android)

Power Director app allows you to apply a blur effect with different shapes in different ratios. This blur video can satisfy all your video editing needs. With the power director, you can define more than 1 area to blur. Also, you can easily add the blur effect to moving objects in a video. Follow these steps to try the Blur video app:

STEP 1
1. As you open the Blur video app, it shows you selecting the video, which makes uploading easy.

STEP 2
1. Define the area to blur. Then, you can adjust the strength and the feather level.

STEP 3
1. Once done, you can export or share the edited video.

Quick comparison: overview of the core features in 10 face-blurring tools

With so many options available, choosing the optimal tool to blur faces in videos depends on your specific needs — convenience, control, and quality. Here is a brief guide to help you make the right choice:

As you can see, CapCut stands out across all platforms — desktop, online, and mobile — by providing powerful and user-friendly solutions. This makes it the most versatile choice, allowing you to start a project on any device without sacrificing core features such as precise masks and high-quality exports.

Conclusion

In terms of blurring faces in videos, selecting the right tool can significantly impact the final output of your video.

CapCut, with its robust blurring effects and rich editing options, emerges as the best toolkit for blurring faces in videos. CapCut also provides additional blurring effects for videos, such as Gaussian, Mosaic, Pixelate, etc., to suit various needs. Video editing is not just a technical task — it's an art form of storytelling where tools like blurring play a vital role in shaping the narrative.

Experience the art of refined edits and features using the CapCut video editor now and explore how effortlessly it is to blur faces in videos.

FAQs

1
1. What's the best app to blur faces in videos?

The best face-blurring app can vary based on your specific needs.

CapCut, with its user-friendly interface and effective face-blurring features, is a top choice. You can use it on

• Web - try CapCut online video editor to blur faces in videos;
• Apps - There are CapCut desktop video editor and CapCut mobile app to support your needs across various operating systems.

Additionally, you can utilize its extensive features:

• Editing tools: trimming, cropping, splitting, chroma key, transcript-based editing, etc.;
• Media resources: stock music, video templates, stickers, filters, effects, etc.

CapCut makes it easy to blur faces while also allowing you to create and polish videos from scratch.

2
1. Can I remove a face blur from a video?

• No. Once a video is saved with a blur effect and the original unedited version is not retained, removing the face blur effect and restoring the face is generally impossible.
• Tip: You can still use CapCut to further edit and improve your videos.

3
1. How to blur faces in a video online for free?

If you are searching for the best free video editor, we recommend CapCut online video editor to enhance your videos. Features:

• Free, browser-based, and easy to access;
• Flexible face-blurring options;
• Extensive editing tools and media assets.

Try it NOW!

4
1. Besides human faces, in which other scenarios does blur effects need to be applied?

In addition to faces, blur effects are also commonly used for:

• Sensitive information: license plates, identification numbers, addresses, etc.;
• Brand logos: unauthorized trademarks or logos;
• Inappropriate content: violent, bloody or unsuitable scenes for public viewing;
• Creative expression: creating suspense or focusing on the main subject.