How to Blur a Video or a Part of a Video

To blur your video, follow these simple steps:

  1. Download and launch Movavi Video Editor.

  2. Import your video and place it on the timeline.

  3. Apply one of the blur filters and save the result.

By clicking the download button, you're downloading a free version of the program.*

Edited by Ben Jacklin
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Many people want to know how to blur something in a video, either for stylistic reasons or to cover up something you'd prefer your audience not to see. You can use a mobile video blur app or a desktop blur video editor to apply a blur video effect to your clips. This guide will look at some of the best ways to blur a video, including online video blur editor tools and downloadable video-editing software.

  1. Movavi Video Editor – best for quick grading
  2. Kapwing – best for users who want to quickly and easily add blur to video online
  3. PickFrom – best for users who want to blur video online on any device
  4. Blur Video by Alpha Project – suitable for users who want to blur individual areas of their videos
  5. BlurEffect by KALEIDOSCOPE – best for users who want to blur videos on iPads or iPhones

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How to apply blur video effects to an entire video

Best for: Users who want to blur a video and make other edits on desktop PCs

Need to add motion blur to your footage to convey a sense of speed? Or maybe you want to know how to blur out a part of a video to disguise people’s faces or hide confidential information? Movavi Video Editor Plus can help! This intuitive video editing software lets you easily perform a variety of creative tasks to improve your videos. If you want to learn how to blur a video, download Movavi Video Editor Plus and read our quick guides.

Step 1. Install Movavi Video Editor

Open the program file you’ve downloaded and follow the installation instructions. The video editing app will be ready to use in just a few moments.

Step 2. Import your video

Click Add Files and choose the video file you want to blur. Your video will be added to the Media Bin. Drag and drop the file onto the Timeline at the bottom of the program window.

Step 3. Blur an entire video

To blur a video in the editor, first click the Filters tab and open the Blur category. You will see a collection of different blur filters. To add your preferred blur effect, simply drag its icon onto the video on the Timeline.

To apply a basic video blur effect, choose Blur – mild or Blur – intense depending on the amount of blur you want to add.

To add an artistic touch to your blurring, try the effects in the Bokeh blur series. You can choose different bokeh shapes: hearts, diamonds, flowers, etc. Experiment with different shapes and choose the ones that work best for your video.

If you want to make your video more dynamic, try the Motion blur. This filter will intensify the sensation of rapid movement in your footage. Remember that you can add multiple filters to one video clip, so experiment away!

Step 4. Export the result

When you’ve finished applying the blurs, click the Export button. Choose the desired format and quality for your video and hit Start.

To learn how to blur a part of a video, check out the guide below.

Movavi Video Editor

Сreate awesome videos easily

*The free version of Movavi Video Editor may have the following restrictions depending on the build: watermark on exported clips, 60-second video or 1/2 audio length limit, and/or some advanced features unavailable when exporting videos.

How to blur a part of a video

Sometimes you need to blur just a part of your video – to hide unwanted objects or emphasize the needed ones. With Movavi, you can also blur just a part of your video. You can watch the video below to learn how to do it.

Below you’ll find a text guide on how to blur a part of your video.

Step 1. Install Movavi Video Editor

Download and install the program on your computer following the on-screen instructions. Launch the video editor.

Step 2. Add your files

Click Add Files and choose your video. It will be automatically added to the Media Bin. Next, drag and drop your clip onto the Timeline.

Step 3. Blur a part of a video

If you want to blur out only a part of your footage, select the target video clip on the Timeline, click the More Tools tab and choose Highlight and Conceal.

Select the appropriate effect. Adjust and move the orange frame in the preview window so that it covers the object you want to blur (e.g., the face of a person). Then click Mask Properties and adjust the settings. Open the Motion tab to change the tracking mode.

Step 4. Save your video

Click the Export button to save your file. Specify the exporting settings and finally click the Start button. As you can see, blurring videos with Movavi Video Editor is as easy as 1-2-3!

Movavi Video Editor

Сreate awesome videos easily

*The free version of Movavi Video Editor may have the following restrictions depending on the build: watermark on exported clips, 60-second video or 1/2 audio length limit, and/or some advanced features unavailable when exporting videos.

How to blur a video online

Kapwing

Best for: Users who want to quickly and easily add blur to video online

Kapwing is a popular blur video online video and photo editor. It's really easy to use and works online, so there's no need for any extra video editor blur tool downloads or installations. Kapwing allows you to add blur effects to faces, text, license plates, and so on in your videos, as well as blurring faces to protect the privacy of individuals. The downside to using Kapwing is that free users have a max upload size of 250 MB, so you'll have to pay extra to blur bigger videos.


How to use Kapwing

  1. Head to the Kapwing site and press Start Editing to begin a new blurred video project.
    Go to Kapwing

  2. Upload the video you want to the online blur videos app from your computer, or import from YouTube, Google Drive, or other platforms.

  3. To adjust blur on the whole video, click the Adjust tab and find the Blur setting. Use the slider to increase or decrease the level of blur, as needed.

  4. To add blur to individual elements or make a part of a video blurry, you'll need to head to the Layer section and press Duplicate to make an overlay copy of your video. You can then crop the area you want to blur on the overlay and use the Adjust menu to add blur to the cropped section.

  5. Preview your new clip and save when you're satisfied.

PickFrom

Best for: Users who want to blur video online on any device

If you're looking for how to add a blur effect in video on your computer or Mac, PickFrom is the perfect video blur app for you. This tool allows you to blur a video online for free or sign up for a paid plan to get access to more features and fewer limitations. It's very easy to use video blurring software, letting your iPhone blur a part of a video or blur a face in your video in a matter of minutes using a simple blur overlay feature.

How to use PickFrom

  1. To use this blurry video app, head to the PickFrom page and upload the MP4 video file you want to work with from your device.
    Go to PickFrom

  2. Once the video has been uploaded, select Blur mode to begin the process to blur the movie. You can use the Blur tool to either blur the background or blur objects or censor individual areas of your video.

  3. Click the Process button to proceed and then download your new blurred video to your device.

Best video blur apps

Blur Video by Alpha Project

Best for: Users who want to blur individual areas of their videos

OS: Android

Blur Video by Alpha Project is a simple Android video blur app you can use for how to make a video blurry in either MP4, 3GP, or WMV format. It's great for social media creators who want to blur clips and then upload straight to sites like Instagram, even offering a built-in Instagram No Crop feature. This video blur software with a free download also offers other video editing tools to alter your clips, but you only get to blur the first five videos for free without a watermark. After that, the app will add a watermark unless you pay to remove it.

How to use Blur Video by Alpha Project

  1. Download Blur Video to your Android device.
    Download the app

  2. Open the app and select the video you want to blur.

  3. Use the FreeStyle Blur feature to blur sections or blur objects of your video. You can also try the Fun Blur feature to choose a shape in your video and blur everything inside or outside of that shape.

BlurEffect by KALEIDOSCOPE

Best for: Users who want to blur videos on iPads or iPhones

OS: iOS

If you've wanted to know how to blur video on iOS devices like iPhone and iPad, BlurEffect by KALEIDOSCOPE is the tool for you. This blur iOS app lets you simply load videos and then touch the parts you want to blur. You can add blur frames around your clips and photos too, or use the Soft Focus effect to add or remove blur as required. Plus, it features motion blur, zoom blur, pixelate, and other blurring features. However, when using the free version, the quality of your videos may not be as high as you hope and a watermark will be added.

How to use BlurEffect by KALEIDOSCOPE

  1. Download the app to your device.
    Download the app

  2. Open it and load in a video you want to blur.

  3. Make use of the Touch to Blur feature or other blur features like motion blur in order to blur sections or elements in your clip.

  4. Save the new video to your device when you're done.

Summary

You might want to blur a part of your video for privacy reasons, to avoid any issues with other people or objects in your recordings, or simply for stylish reasons. Either way, these are some of the best tools you can use for blurring clips.

App

OS

Best for

Download

Windows, macOS

Users who want to blur a video and make other edits on desktop PCs

Any (web-based)

Users who want to quickly and easily add blur to video online

Any (web-based)

Users who want to blur video online on any device

Movavi Video Editor

Сreate awesome videos easily

*The free version of Movavi Video Editor may have the following restrictions depending on the build: watermark on exported clips, 60-second video or 1/2 audio length limit, and/or some advanced features unavailable when exporting videos.

Frequently asked questions

What is a blur?

In a video, a blur is an object or area that cannot be seen clearly. It has no clear outline and almost looks like a smudge or smear on the screen. Blurs are used in video clips to cover up certain areas or elements for various reasons.

How do I blur an object in a video?

There are many different ways you can blur an object in a video. We recommend using a desktop app like Movavi Video Editor for the best results. You can also use an online app like Kapwing and PickFrom or a downloadable app such as Blur Video by Alpha Project or BlurEffect by KALEIDOSCOPE.

How do I blur faces in a video?

If you need to blur faces in a video, you can use an online app or downloadable piece of software that has the ability to blur video elements or sections, like Kapwing or Blur Video by Alpha Project.

How do I blur something in iMovie?

iMovie doesn't have its own blur tool, but there is a way you can use the Picture-in-Picture effect in order to work around this problem. To do this, start a project and load the clip you want to blur. Find the item or area you want to blur and use the Picture-in-Picture tool (Shift+Command+4) to draw an area around it to get a screenshot. After that, you'll need to use some sort of image editing software to blur the screenshot, save it, and then drag the new image back into your iMovie project. This only works for stationery items, and it's much easier to use another video editor with a blur feature.

How do I blur text?

You can use various apps and pieces of software with blur effects to cover over text in your videos with blur effects. Examples include Movavi Video Editor, Kapwing, and Blur Video by Alpha Project.

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