BlurDataStep by step · Updated October 2026
How to Redact a PDF on Mac, in Preview or Automatically
The free way: open the PDF in Preview, choose Tools > Redact, select the text and save. Preview removes what you select, but it finds nothing for you. The automatic way: BlurData finds names, emails, addresses and account numbers on its own, in PDFs and scans, without uploading the file.
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4 ways to redact a PDF on Mac
Which one fits depends on how many pages and files you have, whether they are scans, and what you want to pay.
1. Preview: free, by hand
Built into macOS since macOS 11 Big Sur. It removes the text you select, one selection at a time. Good for a short document with a few names. Steps below.
2. BlurData: automatic, on your Mac
Finds 8 types of personal data on its own, on text pages and scans, in one file or a whole folder. Black boxes, or labels like [PERSON_1] for AI. $79/year or $149 lifetime. Steps below.
3. A full PDF editor
Adobe Acrobat Pro ($19.99/month on an annual plan; Acrobat Standard has no redaction) and PDF Expert ($79.99/year or $139.99 one-time) both remove text properly. You mark each item by hand or by search. Acrobat also has 5 fixed patterns, and finds names only with its AI Assistant, which runs in the cloud. Prices as of October 2026.
4. Turn the pages into images
The last resort: export each page as an image, cover the data, then combine the images into a new PDF. It's free and nothing is left under the boxes, but the text is no longer searchable, the file gets bigger, and links and bookmarks are lost.
First: a black box is not a redaction
A PDF keeps its text and the shapes drawn on top in separate layers. A black rectangle drawn with the Markup shapes, or with any annotation tool, only covers the words. The text is still in the file, and anyone can:
- select it and copy it with Command-C
- find it with Command-F
- pull it out with a free PDF tool
- delete the rectangle and read what's under it
The same mistake is behind the Epstein documents redaction failure of December 2025. A real redaction deletes the text from the file. Preview's Redact tool, the PDF editors above and BlurData all do that. A shape doesn't.
How to redact a PDF in Preview on Mac
Preview, the PDF app built into macOS, has had a Redact tool since macOS 11 Big Sur. It works well for a short document with a handful of names.
Make a copy and open it in Preview
Redaction can't be undone once the file is saved and closed, so keep the original. In Finder, select the PDF, choose File > Duplicate, then open the copy in Preview.
Choose Tools > Redact
In the menu bar, choose Tools > Redact, or click the Redact button in the Markup toolbar. The first time, Preview may warn you that redacting removes content permanently.
Select what you want gone
Drag across each name, number or address. Every selection turns into a black box. On a scanned page, drag a rectangle over the area instead. Repeat for every item, on every page.
Save, close, then check the copy
Choose File > Save and close the document: that is when the text is removed for good. Open the file again, press Command-F and search for a word you redacted. If nothing comes up, the text is out of the file.
What Preview does well
- Removes the selected text from the file, so it can't be copied or found with search.
- Free and already on your Mac.
- Works offline: the file stays on your Mac.
What Preview doesn't do
- Find anything on its own. A name that appears forty times is forty selections, and the one you miss on page 30 is the one that leaks.
- Scans. On a scanned page without a text layer the words are only pixels: you can't search for them, so you box each one by eye.
- Many files at once. One document at a time.
- Metadata. The author, title and other file details stay in the PDF. Check them with Tools > Show Inspector. Apple also notes that table of contents entries pointing to redacted text aren't removed.
- Labels. It only blacks out. There's no way to swap names for labels like [PERSON_1] so the document still reads.
For one short file, Preview is enough. For long documents, scans or a folder of files, that is the gap BlurData fills.
Watch: how to redact a PDF on Mac in 2 minutes
The whole workflow on a real document: add the PDF, let BlurData find the sensitive data, fix what you need, export, and check that the redacted text is really gone.
How to redact a PDF on Mac automatically with BlurData
Drop the PDF into BlurData
Drag a PDF, a scan or a whole folder of files from Finder into the app.
Let it find the data
BlurData marks emails, names, addresses, IP addresses, URLs, amounts, account numbers and license plates on its own, on text pages and on scans. Turn on Barcodes & QR codes to cover those too.
Add what's specific to your documents
Pick a preset for your kind of document, such as a bank statement or a W-2, or add your own patterns for case numbers and internal IDs. Turn whole categories on or off, or remove single matches.
Choose black boxes or labels, then export
Export a new PDF with black boxes, or with labels like [PERSON_1] so the text still reads when you send it to ChatGPT or Claude. Redacted text is removed from the file, covered areas of a scan become new pixels, and the original title, author and other metadata are not carried over.
Finds it on its own
8 built-in detectors, plus Barcodes & QR codes, presets and your own patterns, in one pass. No selecting one box at a time.
Removed, not covered
Copy, paste or search the exported PDF and the redacted words aren't there, because they no longer exist in the file.
Nothing uploaded
Finding and removing the data happen on your Mac. No upload and no account, so client files, medical records and internal documents stay with you.
How to check that a redaction worked
Whatever tool you used, test the file before you send it:
- Select. Try to highlight text where a box is. If you can select or copy it, the redaction failed.
- Search. Press Command-F and look for a name or number you removed. No result is what you want.
- Open it in another app. A box that is only an annotation can look fine in one PDF app and come off in another.
- Check the details. In Preview, choose Tools > Show Inspector and look at the author and title.
Or drop the file into the free redaction checker: it shows whether text is still hiding under the boxes, right in your browser.
BlurData vs other ways to redact PDFs on Mac
| Tool | Auto PII detection | True redaction | Offline | Batch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BlurData | ✅ 8 built-in + your own patterns | ✅ removes from file | ✅ | ✅ |
| macOS Preview | ❌ manual only | ✅ since Big Sur | ✅ | ❌ |
| Adobe Acrobat Pro | 5 fixed patterns; names only with cloud AI | ✅ | ✅ manual & patterns ❌ AI in the cloud | ✅ |
| Foxit / Nitro Smart Redact | ✅ AI in their cloud | ✅ | ❌ file uploaded for AI | ✅ |
| PDF Expert | ❌ search, then Blackout All | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ |
| Online PDF redactors | varies | varies | ❌ cloud | ❌ |
Prices, verdicts and screenshot tools side by side: best redaction tools for Mac in 2026.
Who uses BlurData to redact PDFs on Mac
Law firms
Redact discovery, exhibits, contracts and court filings without sending privileged content through a third-party cloud service.
Healthcare teams
PHI redaction in lab reports, charts and PDFs shared with patients or auditors, fully on-device.
Finance & HR
Strip account numbers, salaries and personal data from statements, payroll exports and employee records before sharing.
Journalists & researchers
Anonymize sources, witness statements and FOIA documents while preserving readability of the original layout.
Customer support
Redact screenshots and PDFs attached to support tickets before pasting into a public help thread or internal chat.
Anyone sharing a screenshot
If you ever paste a screenshot in Slack, X or Discord, BlurData makes sure your name and email aren't in the bottom-right corner.
Frequently asked questions
How do I redact a PDF on Mac for free?
Use Preview, which is built into macOS. Open a copy of the PDF, choose Tools > Redact, drag across each piece of text you want gone, then save and close the file. Preview removes the selected text, but you have to find and select every item yourself, one document at a time.
Where is the Redact tool in Preview?
In the menu bar, choose Tools > Redact, or click the Redact button in the Markup toolbar. Preview has had it since macOS 11 Big Sur. Older versions have no Redact tool, and a black shape drawn with Markup doesn't remove the text underneath.
Does Preview remove the text or just cover it?
The Redact tool removes it: once you save and close the file, the selected text is gone and can't be copied or found with search. A rectangle drawn with the Markup shapes only covers the text, which stays in the file. Preview doesn't clear the document's metadata, such as the author and title.
Can Preview redact a scanned PDF?
Only by hand. On a scanned page without a text layer the words are pixels, so you can't search for them and Preview finds nothing. You drag a box over each item by eye. BlurData reads the text on scanned pages on your Mac, finds names, numbers and addresses, and covers them. In the exported file the covered area is replaced pixels.
How do I redact a PDF on Mac without Adobe Acrobat?
Two ways. For a short file, use Preview's Redact tool, free and built in. For long documents, scans or many files, use BlurData: drop the PDF in, check what it found and export. It finds emails, names, addresses, IP addresses, URLs, amounts, account numbers and license plates on its own, and you can add your own patterns.
Is the redaction permanent?
Yes. In a PDF with real text, BlurData removes the redacted text from the file instead of covering it, so it can't be copied or extracted. In a scan, the covered area is replaced pixels in the exported file. The original title, author and other metadata are not carried over.
Can I redact many PDFs at once on Mac?
Not in Preview, which works one document at a time. In BlurData, drop a whole folder and export each document separately: you get one redacted copy per file with the original name kept, and your originals stay untouched.
Does BlurData upload my PDF, and is it free?
Nothing is uploaded: finding and removing the data happen on your Mac. BlurData isn't free and there's no free trial. It costs $79 a year or $149 for a lifetime license, with a 14-day full refund if it doesn't fit your documents. Preview costs nothing.