How to blur an address in a photo
House numbers, street signs and parcel labels can reveal where you live. How to spot them in a photo, cover them properly and remove the hidden GPS data too.
Updated · 2 min read
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Open Blur imageThe short answer
Open the photo in Blur image, cover every house number, street sign and label that shows your address, and download the new copy. The exported image also leaves out the GPS location that phone cameras often store in the file, which can give away an address even when nothing is visible.
Where addresses hide in photos
- House and flat numbers on doors, gates, walls and letterboxes.
- Street signs and building names in the background.
- Parcel labels and envelopes: your full name and address, often with a phone number and a tracking barcode.
- Bills and letters lying on a table or stuck to the fridge.
- Distinctive views: a landmark from your window or a shop sign across the road.
- Hidden data: GPS coordinates in the photo's EXIF metadata.
Unboxing photos, moving-day posts and pictures of a new front door are the usual culprits.
Cover an address step by step
- Open Blur image and drop in the photo, or choose it from your phone.
- Printed text is read on your device. On parcel labels and letters, phone numbers, emails and labelled names and addresses are often highlighted for you. For text that's mainly about the label, Blur text in image is set up for it.
- House numbers on a wall or door and street signs usually aren't detected as an address, so drag a box over each one by hand.
- Draw boxes over barcodes on parcel labels. QR codes are detected automatically.
- Use Solid or a strong Pixelate for numbers and street names, then download.
A blurred house number with a visible street sign next to it still narrows things down a lot. Cover both.
Choosing the right style
| Detail | Suggested style |
|---|---|
| House number, flat number | Solid or strong Pixelate |
| Street sign | Strong Pixelate or Blur |
| Parcel label text | Solid |
| Barcode or QR code | Solid |
| Background view or building | Blur, if you want it at all |
Numbers are the hardest thing to hide with blur, since there are only so many possibilities. If you're posting the photo publicly, see How to censor a photo before posting for the rest of the checklist, and How to remove location from photos for the hidden data.
Questions
Will a parcel label be found automatically?
Often, partly. The text is read and details such as phone numbers, emails and labelled addresses are highlighted, but a handwritten or partly hidden label may be missed. Check and draw boxes over the rest.
Should I throw away parcel labels as they are?
Many people remove or black out the label before recycling the box, since it carries your name and address. It's a simple habit worth considering.