DaVinci Resolve how-to
How to blur a face in DaVinci Resolve (free and Studio)
Short answer
On the Color page add a node, draw a circular Window over the face, track it forward in the Tracker palette, then raise Radius in the Blur palette: the blur stays inside the tracked window. That works in the free version. Studio users can let Magic Mask select the face instead. For a pixelated look, apply Mosaic Blur, which Blackmagic describes as suitable for hiding the face of anonymous witnesses.
Checked against: DaVinci Resolve 21, free version and Studio (Studio-only features are marked), Edit page unless stated, per the Resolve 21 Reference Manual (July 2026).
Method 1: Window + tracker + blur (free)
Add a node
Go to the Color page and add a serial node for the blur.
Draw a circle window
Open the Window palette, choose the circle and size it over the face; add softness.
Track it
Open the Tracker palette and track forward (and backward) so the window follows the face. Windows can be tracked and keyframed individually.
Blur inside the window
Open the Blur palette and raise Radius until the face is unrecognisable.
Method 2: Magic Mask (Studio)
Click the face
Open the Magic Mask palette and click on the face; Magic Mask v2 builds the mask from clicks and tracks it. It is Studio-only.
Apply the blur
Use the mask on a node and blur it with the Blur palette or Mosaic Blur.
If it doesn't work
| What you see | Fix |
|---|---|
| Window slips off the face | Track in shorter ranges and adjust the window on the frames where it drifts. |
| Magic Mask not available | Magic Mask v2 is Studio-only; use window tracking in the free version. |
| Face still recognisable | Raise Blur Radius or use Mosaic Blur with larger cells. |
Questions people ask
Can the free DaVinci Resolve blur faces?
Yes, with a tracked window and the Blur palette on the Color page.
Is Magic Mask free?
Magic Mask v2 is listed as Studio-only in the Resolve 21 manual.
How do I blur several faces?
Add one window per face (or one node per face) and track each.
More DaVinci Resolve guides
Sources and how we checked
- DaVinci Resolve 21 Reference Manual: Mosaic Blur and tracked windows (p. 3366-3370, 3608) (checked 2026-10-05)
- DaVinci Resolve 21 Reference Manual: Magic Mask (Studio version) (p. 3339-3341) (checked 2026-10-05)
Reviewed October 5, 2026 by the Koldflux team. Each step is compared with DaVinci Resolve's own documentation (linked above) and with the top search results for this task; where they disagree, the maker's documentation wins. Steps without a source link follow the menu names that several current guides agree on.