How to reduce a photo's file size on iPhone and Android

A photo straight from a modern phone is usually 2–6 MB. That is fine for your gallery but too big for many forms, chats and email. Here is how to shrink it without installing anything.

Updated 9 October 2026 · 6 min read

Why phone photos are so large

Phone cameras capture 12 to 50 megapixels, which means images around 4000 pixels wide or more. Each one is saved at high quality so it still looks good when you zoom in or print it. A form that wants a 600 × 600 photo under 100 KB needs something about 50 times smaller.

Newer iPhones also save photos as HEIC by default. HEIC files are smaller than JPGs of the same quality, but many websites do not accept them. Converting to JPG fixes both problems at once.

Method 1: in the browser (exact size, any phone)

1. Open picshrinker.com in Safari, Chrome or any other mobile browser.
2. Tap Drop images here or click to choose and pick the photo from your library. You can select several at once.
3. Choose a target: 20, 50, 100, 200 or 500 KB, or type your own number.
4. Tap Compress. Check the final size and the pixel dimensions shown under the photo.
5. Tap download. On iPhone, the file goes to the Files app (Downloads). Long-press it there and choose Save Image if you want it in Photos.

Because the compression happens on your phone, it also works on a slow connection: the photo never has to travel to a server and back.

Method 2: built-in options on iPhone

Send it at a smaller size by email

When you share a photo to the Mail app and send it, iOS may offer a choice of Small, Medium, Large or Actual Size, usually when several photos are attached. Small is often a few dozen KB, Medium a few hundred. You cannot pick an exact number, and the option does not always appear for a single photo.

Crop it

Cropping in the Photos app (Edit → Crop) removes pixels and therefore reduces the file size. It is the best first step for profile and ID photos anyway, because forms usually want the face to fill most of the frame.

Stop saving HEIC for future photos

In Settings → Camera → Formats, choosing Most Compatible makes the camera save JPG instead of HEIC. Files get slightly larger, but they upload everywhere without conversion. If you only need JPG occasionally, leave the setting alone and convert when needed; our sister site has a HEIC to JPG converter that also runs in the browser.

Method 3: built-in options on Android

Android phones differ by manufacturer, so menus vary. Common options:

• Camera resolution setting. Most camera apps let you choose a lower resolution or aspect ratio for future photos in their settings. This makes every new photo smaller.
• Resize in the gallery app. Some gallery apps (Samsung Gallery, for example) have a resize option in the edit or more menu that saves a smaller copy at a percentage of the original.
• Google Photos backup quality. Choosing a storage-saver backup quality compresses the copy stored in the cloud, but not the original on your phone, so it does not help with uploads.

None of these lets you hit a specific KB target, which is what most forms ask for. Use the browser method when the limit is precise.

What size should you aim for?

For more on what forms typically ask for, see photo size limits for online forms.

Keep the original

Compressing always creates a new file. Your original stays in the gallery untouched, so you can make another copy at a different size later. Never delete the original just because you have a smaller version: you cannot add detail back to a compressed photo.

Frequently asked questions