How to blur part of a screenshot on a Mac
Screenshots often show more than you want to share: an email address, a name, a password field. macOS can take screenshots, but its Markup tools cannot blur. Here is the quickest way to blur part of a screenshot on your Mac.
With the built-in tools
- Take the screenshot with ⇧⌘4 and open it in Preview.
- Click the Markup button and choose a filled rectangle.
- Draw the rectangle over the detail you want to hide.
This covers the detail with a solid shape. Preview has no blur tool.
The faster way, with ShotBloom
- Press ⇧⌘2 and drag over the part of the screen you need.
- Click Edit on the preview that appears in the corner.
- Choose the Blur brush in the toolbar and use the slider to set its size.
- Paint over the detail you want to hide. The rest of the image stays sharp.
- Click Done & Copy. The blurred screenshot is on your clipboard and saved to your library.
Tips
- Use a bigger brush for faces and a small one for single words.
- For text you must hide completely, use Redact instead of blur.
- Blur is part of ShotBloom Pro and free on your first two screenshots.
Try it on your next screenshot
ShotBloom is free on the Mac App Store. No account needed.