Compress image

How image compression works

A photo from a phone is routinely 4–8 MB, while a tenth of that is plenty for a website, an email or a listing. The tool re-encodes the image to JPG at the quality you choose: detail your eye would not notice is dropped, and the file gets far smaller.

Everything happens in your browser through canvas, so the photos are never uploaded. Each file shows its old and new size and how many per cent it shrank; a batch downloads as a ZIP.

• Quality 75–85%: the usual choice for the web, typically saving 60–80% of the size.
• Quality 60%: when you really need a small file, for an email attachment say.
• Dimensions stay: compression only changes the amount of detail. To change the dimensions, use the resize tool.

Frequently asked questions

How do I get a photo under 2 MB?

Start at 75% quality and look at the resulting size. If it is still too big, go down five per cent at a time, or reduce the dimensions first.

Can anyone tell the photo has been compressed?

Above 80% quality, practically not. Below 60% blocky artefacts start showing up, mostly on smooth areas and around text.

Does the file keep its EXIF data?

No. The new photo has no metadata, so nothing reveals the location or the camera. For sharing that is usually a plus.

Does it handle PNG too?

Yes, but the output is always JPG, which gives far smaller files for photos. If you need to keep transparency, use the format converter.