Let’s practice the art of invisibility—or at least, the art of blurring your text on an iPhone. You can protect your data and privacy by learning a few editing tricks on your mobile device. This article will walk you through how to blur text on iPhone across multiple apps, including iMessage and WhatsApp.
Be aware: One of the options below offers temporary blurring (specifically, the Invisible Ink feature on iMessage). However, most of these points show you how to implement permanent text blurring and keep your information confidential.
The best part is that blurring text on iPhone is easy and only requires light image editing. Here’s how it’s done:
How to blur text on iPhone screenshots or photos
There’s no direct “blur text” feature on your iPhone within your photo editor. However, you can erase or obscure specific text and images by adding color shapes (like a square or circle) to select areas. The finished edits will look more like a redacted government statement than a truly blurred text.
Here’s how:
- Open the image you’d like to blur
- Tap “Edit”
- Tap the pen icon
- Tap the plus (+) icon
- Select your preferred color
- Select the area you’d like to blur by placing and dragging the colored shape
- Tap “Done”
How to (temporarily) blur text on iMessage using Invisible Ink
iMessage has an Invisible Ink feature. This is not a permanent way to blur text on iPhone messages. It is only blurred until the recipient swipes to receive the message, allowing you to send a temporary secret. Here’s how to use it:
- Open a conversation with the person you’d like to text
- Type your message into the text box
- Tap and hold the Send button
- Tap the three gray dots
- Select the “Invisible Ink” effect
- Tap the Send button
How to blur text on WhatsApp
You can permanently blur text on iPhone images before sending them using WhatsApp. Here’s how.
- Open a conversation with the person you’d like to text
- Tap the plus (+) icon
- Tap “Photo and video library”
- Select your photo
- Tap the pen icon
- Select the blur pen (looks pixelated)
- Drag your finger across the image to blur any area
- Tap “Done”
- If everything looks right, tap “Send” to send the blurred image
A word of caution about third-party editing apps
There are dozens—maybe even hundreds—of alternative editing apps for mobile. Many of them likely offer some form of text blurring or obfuscation. We don’t have space in this article to cover all of them.
But it’s important to remember: Any app may be hacked. If you don’t know the privacy or security practices of the owners of more obscure apps, don’t upload images or text containing sensitive information.
If you’re going to blur text you’d like to keep confidential, the best step is to use apps with encryption and data handling practices that you understand.
Best practices for sending sensitive information over the internet
No conversation about blurring text is complete without talking about information security. Specifically, how do you keep your personal information secure when sending anything over the internet?
The first rule of sending anything online is that nothing is foolproof. Any messenger or email inbox can be hacked. Here are some precautions you can take (beyond text blurring) to keep your most sensitive information private.
To send sensitive information securely over the Internet:
Encryption: Use end-to-end encryption tools or services to protect your data from unauthorized access.
Secure Channels: Transmit data over protocols like HTTPS for websites or secure email services.
Strong Passwords: Use strong, unique passwords for accounts transmitting sensitive information.
Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): Enable 2FA wherever possible to add an extra layer of security.
Update Software: Keep your software, including security software, up-to-date to patch vulnerabilities.
Secure Wi-Fi: Use a secure Wi-Fi connection, preferably with WPA3 encryption, to prevent unauthorized access.
Firewalls and Antivirus: Employ firewalls and up-to-date antivirus software to protect against malware.
Data Minimization: Only share the minimum necessary information. Avoid unnecessary details. (Aka, blur text on iPhone photos using the steps above when necessary.)
Verify Recipients: Double-check email addresses or recipients to avoid sending sensitive information to the wrong person.
Secure File Transfer: Use secure file transfer methods like SFTP or encrypted file-sharing services.
Audit Access: Regularly review and restrict access to sensitive data, limiting it to essential personnel.
Educate Users: Train users on security best practices to reduce the risk of human error.
Remember, combining these practices provides a robust defense against potential security threats. These tactics are principles you can piece together into a security checklist. Others, you simply need the right tool.
Protect your private messages with a trusted VPN
In the previous section, we mentioned several features (like encryption) that protect your privacy. What we didn’t answer was: how do you encrypt something?
All of the top messaging apps use some form of encryption. They all have privacy statements about how they protect you and your data. But the best way to encrypt your data—and genuinely know that you’re sending your information more privately—is to use a trusted VPN.
A VPN (virtual private network) encrypts your data and tunnels it through an external network. This helps keep your IP address better hidden and also helps prevent you from divulging identifying information. In other words, a VPN makes you more anonymous and secure online. The next time you need to check a sensitive website or send a critical message containing private information, use a VPN.
