How to Blur Sensitive Information in OBS Studio

Protecting your privacy while live-streaming or recording is crucial, especially when typing passwords, emails, or displaying personal data. This article provides a step-by-step guide on how to dynamically blur sensitive information in OBS Studio. You will learn how to use a native, plugin-free pixelation method as well as how to use popular free plugins for a professional blur effect.

Method 1: The Native Pixelation Method (No Plugins Required)

If you do not want to install third-party plugins, you can create a dynamic blur/pixelation effect using OBS Studio’s built-in filters. This method works by duplicating your source, cropping it to the sensitive area, and downscaling it to create a pixelated block.

Step 1: Duplicate your source

  1. Open OBS Studio and go to your Sources dock.
  2. Right-click the source you want to blur (e.g., Window Capture or Display Capture) and select Copy.
  3. Right-click in the Sources box again and select Paste Reference. This ensures any changes to the original source happen to the blurred layer as well.

Step 2: Crop to the sensitive area

  1. Select the duplicated source you just pasted.
  2. Hold the Alt key (Option on Mac) and drag the red bounding box edges inward to crop the source so only the sensitive area (like a password field) is visible.
  3. Alternatively, right-click the duplicated source, go to Filters, click the + icon, and add a Crop/Pad filter to precisely target the coordinates of the sensitive area.

Step 3: Apply the pixelation filter

  1. Right-click the cropped duplicate source and select Filters.
  2. Click the + icon under Effect Filters and select Scaling/Aspect Ratio.
  3. Change the Resolution to a very low setting (e.g., 64x64 or 32x32).
  4. Set the Scale Filtering to Bilinear (for a blurry look) or Point (for a pixelated look).
  5. Close the filters window and resize the cropped source on your canvas to fit perfectly over the original sensitive area.

For a smooth, professional Gaussian blur, using a dedicated plugin is the best approach. The free Composite Blur plugin allows you to easily mask and blur specific areas of a source.

Step 1: Install the plugin

  1. Download and install the Composite Blur plugin from the official OBS Resources forum.
  2. Restart OBS Studio after installation.

Step 2: Apply the filter

  1. Right-click the source containing the sensitive information and select Filters.
  2. Click the + icon under Effect Filters and select Composite Blur.
  3. In the filter settings, adjust the Blur Value to your desired strength.

Step 3: Mask the sensitive area

  1. Inside the Composite Blur filter settings, look for the Mask or Crop options.
  2. Use the slider controls to crop the blur effect so it only covers the specific portion of the screen where the password or sensitive input field resides.
  3. Close the filter settings. The blur will now remain locked to that specific coordinate on your capture source.

Keeping the Blur Dynamic with Moving Windows

If the window containing the sensitive information moves around your screen, the blur must move with it.

To achieve this: 1. Ensure you apply the crop or blur filters directly to a Window Capture source rather than a Display Capture source. 2. If using Method 1, select both your original source and the cropped duplicate source in your Sources dock. 3. Right-click them and select Group Selected Items. 4. Whenever you move or resize the window, the cropped blur overlay will remain locked in the correct position relative to the window.