Skip to main content

Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

How to blur faces in pictures before sending them on Signal

Signal has emerged as the messaging app of choice for millions of people who are protesting against racism and police brutality across the United States. Protesters have rushed to the encrypted chat app to ensure their communications can’t be tapped or accessed if they’re taken in custody by law enforcement agencies — propelling Signal to the top of the Android and iOS app stores.

To further buttress its utility and support protesters, Signal has rolled out a tool inside its instant messaging app that lets anyone blur out faces in pictures with a click of a button before sending them. The addition is designed for people who are actively employing Signal to share images of large-scale protests and want to continue to do so without compromising identities of the people in the photos.

Signal blur faces tool
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Signal’s new blurring tool is fairly straightforward to use:

  1. Visit the iOS App Store or Google Play Store to download the messaging app’s latest version.
  2. Once it’s installed, launch the app.
  3. Head over to the chat where you’d like to share a picture.
  4. Upload a picture by either clicking a new one with the little camera button or import from your phone’s gallery from the blue plus menu.Signal blur tool option toolbar
  5. On the next page, tap the blur option located on the right of the pen icon.
  6. Flip the switch at the bottom and Signal will automatically blur all the faces it detects in the photograph. If that doesn’t work as you’d expected it to, you can manually draw over faces to mask them.

You don’t have to limit this tool to faces either. You can take advantage of it to conceal, for instance, a piece of sensitive information in a document or an identifiable landmark to prevent disclosing your location. Hit the tick at the top right once when you’re done and press send to forward it to the contact.

Signal doesn’t save these edited files in your local gallery by default for privacy reasons. But if you want to share the blurred photo on other platforms, you can long-press sent media in the chat and tap the download button present on the row of options at the top.

Signal says the new blur tool relies on your phone’s existing system libraries, which means it doesn’t upload them to a server and all of the processing happens locally on your own device.

Wondering if Signal is better than other encrypted chat apps? Check out our Signal starter guide.

Editors' Recommendations

Shubham Agarwal
Shubham Agarwal is a freelance technology journalist from Ahmedabad, India. His work has previously appeared in Firstpost…
Some of the most common iOS 14 problems and how to fix them easily
iOS 14 problems feat image

If you haven't updated your iPhone to iOS 15, do so now. Any iPhone that can run iOS 14 can also run iOS 15, so there's no reason to wait any longer to upgrade your handset, and there are some compelling reasons to do it.

While iOS 14 proved a relatively smooth transition for most iPhone users -- which incorporated a ton of new features with minimal complaints -- iOS 15 solves most of the minor issues encountered in iOS 14. It incorporates all of the great features introduced in the previous generation, including the App Library, videos and FaceTime calls while using other apps, new default apps, unlocking your iPhone via your Apple Watch, enabling smart Siri support for music apps, PlayStation 5 and Xbox controller support, Waze-inspired crowdsourcing in Apple Maps, and much more.

Read more
Why fitness tracker subscriptions are a rip-off (and how to avoid them)
A carbon colored Fitbit Sense is worn on a mans wrist.

There's a split in the world of fitness trackers when it comes to your access to the data they collect. Some companies charge a monthly subscription for complete access to the accompanying platform, while others include everything in the cost of the device alone.

From a business perspective, subscriptions make sense. They lock people in, encourage future hardware purchases, and generate steady income after the initial device sale. But from a consumer perspective, these are either inconsequential or negative traits. Committing to one platform is not only limiting, but when you look more carefully, you aren't getting much that's not available for free elsewhere.
Your subscription choices
Let's start with a look at some of the different subscription services. Fitbit Premium costs $10 per month. It adds various features and data-tracking points to the standard free plan included with the Fitbit device. It also sets the tone for most other examples. Amazon charges $4 per month for its Halo platform, and Oura charges $6 per month for its smart ring membership plan. Whoop gives you the fitness band for free, but it's useless unless you pay $30 per month.

Read more
Common Google Pixel 6 and 6 Pro problems and how to fix them
Pixel 6 Pro (left) and Pixel 6 (right).

The Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro are the two best smartphones Google has ever produced. Building on the virtues of previous models, they add a powerful Google-made Tensor chip, bigger batteries, gorgeous AMOLED displays, revamped (iPhone-beating) cameras, and a striking new design. On top of this, they provide the same slick software experience Pixel fans have come to know and love, with a number of special features you won't find on any other Android device.

However, as good as both phones are, they won't be without the occasional technical issue or bug. We've already heard about a few niggles, which is why this article compiles the most common Google Pixel 6 and 6 Pro problems and how to fix them. It ranges from simple issues you can fix yourself to stuff that will most likely need a software update to rectify, while it will also be regularly updated to cover any new problems as and when they emerge.

Read more