PDkef
Blur & Redact PDF
On-device

Blur PDF Online Free: Blackout & Redact Text

Blur part of a PDF, black out private details, or delete text and images. Choose a solid blackout for sensitive information. A page you cover is saved as a picture when you download. Free, open source, and your file stays on your device.

Select or drop a PDF to redactLet go to add your file

Private. Files never leave your device.

Details

    Page pictures from before your marks go on their own, so a mark can't be seen through them.

    Open a different file?

    This closes the current PDF. It stays in your recent files with everything you've done, so you can come back to it from the home page.

    Clear all files?

    This empties the list and the order you put it in. Nothing is removed from your device.

    Turn on airplane mode and give it a try. It still works.

    How it works

    How it works

    How to blur, black out, white out or delete PDF content

    Choose the result you want. Blur softens what is under a box, Blackout covers it solid, and Whiteout covers it with a clean box. All three work on typed PDFs and scans. A page with one of these boxes is saved as a picture when you download, so the redaction is permanent: there is no hidden text under the box to recover. Delete deletes text or an image and leaves the rest of the page as it was.

    1. 1Open your PDF. Choose a PDF from your device or drag it into the tool. It opens in your browser without being uploaded.
    2. 2Choose the result. Use Blur, Blackout or Whiteout to drag a box over what you want to cover. Use Delete to click highlighted text or an image and delete it. You can mix the tools in the same PDF.
    3. 3Download your changed PDF. A page with a Blur, Blackout or Whiteout box is saved as a picture, so its text can no longer be selected or searched and what was under the box is gone for good. Pages where you only used Delete keep their text. Your original file is not changed.

    Free for everyone

    Blur or black out PDFs for free, with no signup, watermark, or daily cap. Your file and saved draft stay on your device. For examples and the trade-offs, see Blur, Blackout or Delete: the visual guide. Want to work offline? Install PDkef and let its required assets load before disconnecting.

    It's open source under the MIT license, so anyone can read the code, fork it on GitHub, or share it. Simple PDF tools should be free for everyone.

    Got questions?

    Frequently asked questions

    How can I blur text in a PDF for free?

    Choose your PDF, select Blur, and click and drag to draw a box over the text. Adjust the box, then choose Download. There is no signup, upload, or watermark. A page with a blur box is saved as a picture. Blur only softens, so use Blackout for confidential text.

    How do I black out text in a PDF for free?

    Open your PDF, select Blackout, and draw a box over the whole word, line or image. Repeat on every page that needs it, then choose Download. Each page with a box is saved as a picture with the box painted in, and its original text is not kept underneath. It also works on scans.

    Can someone remove the blur or black box after download?

    No. A Blackout or Whiteout box permanently redacts what it covers. PDkef saves the page as a picture, so the box is part of the picture and there is no hidden text under it to recover. You can check this yourself: open the downloaded PDF and search for the word you covered. It will not be found, because it is no longer there as text. Blur only softens, and softened pixels can still give clues, so use a solid Blackout for anything sensitive. Look for the same detail elsewhere in the PDF too.

    What about the file's details, like author and title?

    Your download keeps them as they came, unless you change them. Under the last page there's a line with what the file says about itself: title, author, the app that made it, dates, attached files. Review opens each one, to alter or delete. Two things always go, since either could show what a mark covers: cached pictures of the pages from before your marks, and the app's own copy of the content. After Download, the check reads your copy back and says what changed.

    Can I delete text or images from a PDF instead of covering them?

    Yes. Choose Delete and click or tap highlighted text or an image. Download creates a new PDF with it deleted, while the rest of the page stays in place and its text stays selectable. This is useful for deleting a prefilled form value before entering replacement text with Sign & Fill PDF.

    Can I remove the "Scanned with CamScanner" footer from my scan?

    Yes. Choose Delete and tap the footer. It lights up on its own, and one tap removes it together with the hidden link under it. If the whole page lights up instead, drag a Whiteout box over the line. Then Download.

    Do I need to flatten the PDF myself?

    No. When you download, or prepare a file with Share, every page with a Blur, Blackout or Whiteout box is saved as a picture. Some tools call this flattening. The page's text can no longer be selected or searched, and the page cannot be changed back into the original. Pages where you only used Delete are not turned into pictures, so their text stays selectable. The word has a gentler meaning in Sign, where a filled-in form is flattened on download: the answers become part of the page and the text stays selectable.

    Can I blur a PDF on my phone or work offline?

    Yes. Open the tool in your phone browser, choose the PDF, and zoom before drawing a box. For offline use, install PDkef and let its required assets load while connected. Try opening and exporting a sample with the connection off before relying on it offline.

    Are my files uploaded, and is the tool open source?

    Your PDF is processed in your browser and is not uploaded to a server. PDkef is free and open source under the MIT license, with no account or watermark. Saved drafts stay in this browser on your device.

    What happens to my original PDF and saved draft?

    Download creates a new PDF; it does not overwrite your original or clear your draft. When browser storage is available, your source PDF and edits auto-save locally so you can resume. Drafts expire after 28 days without a save and are checked when loaded. On a shared device, clear site data when finished; that also removes saved drafts and preferences.

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