Redact PDF
Black out private details for good, not just cover them. Nothing uploaded.
Draw black boxes over anything private, or find a word to mark every place it appears. Pages with boxes become pictures, so the hidden text is removed from the file, not just covered.
How it works
- Pick your files.Pick a PDF.
- Your phone does the work.Draw black boxes, or find a word to mark everywhere it appears.
- Save the result.Save. The text under the boxes is removed and the result is checked.
Real redaction, not black boxes on top
Drawing a black rectangle over text in most apps only hides it: anyone can copy the text out from under the box. Here, each page you redact is rebuilt as a picture with the boxes burnt in, so the words underneath are gone from the file.
After saving, Thumbs PDF opens the result and checks it: the redacted pages must have no text left in them, and words you searched for must not be found anywhere. If anything is left, nothing is saved and you are told why.
Good to know
- Text on redacted pages can no longer be selected or searched. Other pages are left as they are.
- The document's title, author and other details are cleared too, as they often hold names.
- Find marks every place a word appears, like a name or an account number. Check each page before saving.
Questions
Why do redacted pages become pictures?
It is the surest way to remove what is under the boxes. Text, fonts, hidden layers and anything else on that page are replaced by a picture of the page as you see it.
Will the file get bigger?
A little, for each redacted page. Run it through Compress PDF afterwards if you need it smaller.
Can I undo a redaction?
Not in the saved file, which is the point. Your original file is left unchanged.
Are my files uploaded?
No. Redaction happens in your browser, and it works in airplane mode.