How to Blur Faces in a Video?

How to Blur Someone's Face in a Video

When filming in public, passers-by may be caught in the frame. If they haven't given you permission to appear in your video, it is better to censor their faces. As content is now easily shared and widely accessible, this step protects both you and the identities of those accidentally captured. Curious about how to blur a face in a video?

For content creators, ordinary tourists, and even worried parents, applying a blurred face effect has become standard practice for various reasons. Here are a few key ones:

• Respect the privacy of people whose faces you don't have permission to show
• Protect the identities of individuals who may face danger if publicly recognized
• Follow the law, especially when filming in public or covering sensitive topics
• Reveal a person’s identity at a strategic point to boost video engagement
• Focus the viewer on the main subject when multiple people are in the frame.

Whatever the reason, below, we'll share with you 4 programs designed for use on computers running Windows or macOS. You will also find tools for smartphones and web browsers, as well as answers to some frequently asked questions.

How to Blur People's Faces in Videos on Windows

If you need an easy-to-handle video editor that allows you to cover up someone’s face in a snap, check out Clipify. This automatic video editing software makes it easy to get started, even if you're new to montage. Its censoring feature lets you blur and pixelate people’s faces and figures in the frame. Set the intensity, shape, and size of the effect with intuitive sliders and buttons. If someone is moving in your video, use motion tracking by adding keyframes. Here’s how to do it step-by-step:

Step 1. Install Clipify

To get started, click the button below and download Clipify. Once done, open the installation package and follow the instructions to launch the software.

Step 2. Upload Your Footage

Create a new project and add the clip you want to edit using the Add Videos and Photos button. Or just drag and drop it into the timeline.

Step 3. Blur the Faces

Select the Censor Sensitive Areas feature above the timeline to open the settings window in this video editor. To blur faces, click the Add Censored Area button, move the pixelated area to the needed place and adjust its size. You can change the censoring mode to blur and solid color as well. If you need to blur a moving face in video, just add motion keyframes to change the position of the censoring effect.

Step 4. Save & Share

Once you’re satisfied with the result, click Create Video to save your censored clip. Now share it on any social media or post it on YouTube without any worries.

Looks quite easy, doesn't it? And that was just a glimpse of what Clipify can do. With this AI-powered video editor, improve your clips using the auto enhancement and stabilization tools. Besides, you can overlay a picture on a video, apply hundreds of artistic filters, add stickers to your video, and much more. If you need to change video background, Chroma Key is also there. To add some mystery, blur the background of a video and add a suitable music track from the built-in collection.

How to Blur Faces in iMovie

Are you an Apple user and don’t have enough storage space to download any extra software? Try using the pre-installed iMovie video editor. Unfortunately, blurring faces in video is a bit tricky with this application, as it doesn't have a dedicated blur tool. The method we’ll show also requires the subject's face to stay mostly in the same position. If these drawbacks don't put you off, just follow the steps below.

1. Open your footage in iMovie Launch the program, then start a new project and click Import Media to add the video where you need to cover a person's face.
2. Find the frame you want to blur Play the video until the face appears in the preview window. Pause it on this frame to capture a clear image of the area you’ll be blurring.
3. Take a screenshot of the frame Press Shift + Command + 4 on your Mac, and select the face area to capture a screenshot. This image will serve as the basis for your blur effect.
4. Blur the screenshot with any photo editor Search for face blurring software on the Internet or find one in the App Store to make the captured face pixelated.
5. Add the blurred image over your video Go back to iMovie and import your blurred image into the program. Drag it over the original video clip in the timeline, positioning it exactly where the face appears. Select the Picture-in-Picture feature above the preview window to make it an overlay.
6. Adjust the size and position Resize and move the blurred overlay to cover the face perfectly. Adjust the duration of this overlay to match the time when the face is visible.
7. Preview and save Play through the clip to make sure the blurred area covers the face correctly. Once perfect, click the Share icon in top-right to export your censored video.

How to Blur Faces in a Video on iPhone & Android

Looking for the best app to blur faces in videos on your smartphone? Since the built-in editors in the Photos and Google Photos apps don't offer a blur tool, we recommend trying InShot. This video and photo editor is designed for creating social media content quick and easy thanks to its user-friendly interface and professional-level tools. Be aware that the small screen of a smartphone may not be convenient if you plan to work with long videos or multiple effects.

To blur faces in a video on your iPhone or Android smartphone with this app, first install it from the App Store or Google Play. Import your video, tap Sticker on the toolbar, then Detail and select one of five blurring effects. Position the blur area over the face you want to pixelate, adjusting its size as needed. If the face moves, use the Tracking tool to automatically follow it. Once done, preview the result to confirm the blur covers the face smoothly throughout, then just export your edited video.

How to Cover Someone's Face in a Video Online

If you don’t want to install any additional programs on your device, you can blur faces in videos online with CapCut. This platform is made with content creators in mind and ideal for quick, professional edits. It includes a range of features like text overlays, transitions, filters, and special effects, along with templates, music, and stock media. On the downside, there is always a risk that the personal media you upload will be leaked when you use any of the online sources.

To get started, you need to log in to the platform, start a new project, and load your footage. If there is only one face in the video and it’s moving, apply Face Mosaic in the Effects tab. If you need to apply the blurry face effect to many people, find a blurred Gipfy in the Elements tab. Once overlayed, resize it and change its position. But keep in mind that the faces should be still or slightly moving because the online version of CapCut lacks the tracking feature. Finally, preview your video to ensure the effect follows the face properly and export your edited video.

FAQ on Blurring Faces in a Video

• How to blur sensitive information in video?

  If you need to hide sensitive details like addresses, license plates, or personal identifiers, use one of the programs we described earlier. Apply the same steps as you would for blurring faces to cover the specific areas of sensitive information.

• How to blur moving faces in video?

  Blurring moving faces is quite similar to blurring stationary ones, but it requires motion tracking to keep up with movement. If the footage has a lot of faces that need to be censored, Windows users can use Clipify. Those who edit on the go with their smartphones can try InShot.

• How to blur children's faces in a video?

  To protect the privacy of children in a video, pick one of the tools we mentioned above, depending on your device. Apply the blur effect over kids faces. Since children are always moving, select a program that supports motion tracking, such as Clipify for desktop or InShot for mobile.

• How to blur a person in a video?

  In addition to having the face blurred out, do you also need to censor the entire body? If so, simply expand the blur area to cover up the person fully.

How to Blur Faces in a Video: Conclusion

These 4 tools can help add a blur effect for video faces on different devices. Still not sure which program to use to hide people's identities in your videos? Whether you’re covering a news story, creating social media content, or filming in public spaces, try Clipify. It makes face blurring accessible to everyone, from first-time editors to seasoned creators. You can easily add motion tracking to follow moving faces and apply different censoring modes like blur and pixelation. Plus, you can enhance other aspects of your movie with its powerful editing toolkit.