Draw a box over each detail the recipient does not need. The tool replaces that area and burns it into the downloaded copy without uploading the document; check repeated details and confirm that an altered copy is accepted.
Hide details on the copy you share
- Choose a photo, scan or PDF. Straighten it with Crop or Rotate if needed.
- With Blur selected, drag a box over each field the recipient has agreed it does not need.
- Check every page and side, including repeated numbers and codes. Remove a misplaced box using the × at its corner.
- Download the JPG or PDF and inspect the saved file. The original stays unchanged.
Which details can be left out?
Right to rent checks apply in England, not throughout the UK. Right to work checks have their own UK-wide process. Follow the GOV.UK route that applies: an online share code, an eligible identity service or an original-document check. A watermarked or redacted scan you email is not a substitute for the required check.
- Passport: if the recipient does not need the number, cover it and the machine-readable lines that repeat it. Check whether the date of birth is required too.
- Driving licence: ask about the licence number, address and date of birth instead of hiding them automatically. Some checks must record those fields.
- Other cards: share only the document requested. Keep the passport photo page, driving licence and GHIC under separate names. A GHIC relates to healthcare abroad; it is not a travel document or proof of a right to work. Use the Home Office’s online status service when a share code is required.
No universal list of fields is safe to hide in every check. A redacted copy can be refused when required details are missing. This tool prepares a copy and does not change the issuer’s requirements.
The saved boxes contain no underlying characters
Ordinary blur and pixelation retain traces of the image. This tool’s Blur replaces the selected area with a texture made from the surrounding paper, then burns that replacement into the exported pixels. There is no original-text layer under a covered field in the downloaded copy.
A PDF exported by this tool contains images. Existing selectable text, form fields and digital signatures are not preserved. Keep the original file if those features matter; this is a tool for copies of scans and photos.
That protection applies only to the area you selected. A QR code, barcode, another page or the passport’s machine-readable zone may repeat the same data. Cover those too when appropriate and accepted. Your original still contains the full details, so keep it protected.
You can also watermark the copy with its recipient or compress it to an upload limit. Processing happens on your device and removes camera metadata.
Common questions
Can I redact a scanned PDF?
Yes. The result is an image-based PDF with the covered regions painted into its pixels. Existing selectable text, signatures and form fields are not preserved.
Can the saved redaction be removed?
The downloaded copy has no removable layer or original pixels beneath the replacement. The source file is unchanged, and details outside the box can still be visible or repeated in codes.
Should I hide every licence number?
Ask the recipient first. A required identifier must remain readable for checks that need it. Different services need different information.
Does a redacted scan count as an official document?
No. It is a copy for a recipient who accepts it, not a certified copy or an official digital credential.
