iPhone
How to Reduce Image Size on iPhone
Learn how to reduce image size on iPhone in Safari. Compress a JPG, PNG, or WebP, save the download, and see what to do if your photo is HEIC.
5 min read
A school form, a job site, or an email can reject an iPhone photo because the file is too big. If you need to know how to reduce image size on iPhone, open the photo in Safari and compress it there. You can do it without installing another app.
This site accepts JPG, PNG, and WebP. It does not accept HEIC, the format many iPhone cameras use to save space. If the message says the file is not a JPG, PNG, or WebP image, make a JPEG copy first. The steps for that are below.
Shrink the photo in Safari
- Open Safari and go to the image compressor.
- Tap Choose Images and pick a JPG, PNG, or WebP. Each file must be 20 MB or smaller.
- Leave the format on Keep original format unless you need a different type.
- Balanced is a solid first try. It uses 75% quality. Open Advanced Settings for Low at 90% or High at 50%.
- Leave Resize Image off when the width and height should stay the same.
- Tap Compress Image.
- Read the new size. Open the comparison when you want to judge the picture, not only the number.
- Tap Download. The new name ends with “-compressed”. The original photo stays on the phone.
Save the new file
Safari stores downloads in the place chosen under Settings, then Safari, then Downloads. That place is often On My iPhone or iCloud Drive. Tap the download arrow in Safari to open the file. The name ends with -compressed.
If you want that picture in the Photos app, open the file, tap Share, and choose Save Image when that button is there. Some files stay in Files instead. That saved copy is still the one to upload.
File size and picture size
File size is how much room the photo takes, in KB or MB. Picture size is the width and height in pixels. A pixel is one tiny square of color. A photo can be very wide and still be a small file. Another photo can look small on the screen and still be too heavy to send.
This site counts 1,024 bytes as 1 KB. A 100 KB limit means 102,400 bytes. The size on the result card uses that same count, so compare the card with the form, not a rounded guess.
Common ways to make the file smaller
Lower the quality, use fewer pixels, or pick a format that fits the picture. Start with quality. Open Advanced Settings and move one step, then look at the photo again. Text, faces, and flat colors show the change first.
What each change does on an iPhone
| Change | What you get |
|---|---|
| Lower quality on a JPG or WebP | Often a smaller file, with some fine detail removed |
| A smaller width | Fewer pixels, which often means a smaller file |
| PNG at 100% | Colors stay, and the file may barely shrink |
| A target size | A goal such as 100 KB. The card says whether the file fits |
When a form names 100 KB or 200 KB, open compress an image toward 100KB or compress an image toward 200KB. Those pages start on that goal. Target Achieved means the file is at or under it. Target Not Achieved means the file is still larger, and the card shows the real size.
If the photo is still too big
Change one setting, then compress again. A new setting clears the last result.
A busy photo can miss a small limit until the width comes down. In Advanced Settings, turn on Enable Image Resizing, leave Maintain Aspect Ratio checked, and type a smaller width. The height follows, so the photo keeps its shape. Aspect ratio means that shape, such as wide or tall.
A PNG with a clear background may not shrink. The site keeps those colors so the clear edges stay. A photo stored as PNG often gets smaller as a JPG. You choose that format yourself. The site does not switch it after a miss.
HEIC photos from the camera
HEIC is Apple’s space-saving photo format. This website cannot open it. Changing the name from .HEIC to .JPG does not convert the picture.
For one photo already in your library, open it in Photos, tap Share, then tap Options. Choose Most Compatible. Apple says files may convert to JPEG. Tap Done, then save or send that copy to Files. Upload the JPEG, not the HEIC original.
The share sheet can look a little different on another iOS version. If you do not see Most Compatible, look for a format choice before you send. Automatic picks a format for the place you are sending to. Current keeps the original format, so a HEIC file stays HEIC.
For photos you take later, open Settings, tap Camera, tap Formats, and choose Most Compatible. Apple says new photos then use JPEG. Pictures already saved stay as they are. JPEG also uses more storage, and this setting changes video format too.
Forms and websites
Read the limit on the form before you compress. Use a target that matches it, check the status, and upload the download. Keep the camera original until the form accepts the new file.
A wider look at file size, without these iPhone steps, is in how to reduce image file size.
Questions
Can this site open a HEIC photo?
No. Uploads must be JPG, PNG, or WebP. Make a JPEG copy in Photos, then compress that copy.
Does Download replace the photo in my camera roll?
No. You get a new file. The original stays until you delete it.
Should I change the width or the quality first?
Lower quality first when the photo must stay just as wide. Use a smaller width when the photo is much bigger than the box where it will be shown.
Where is the file after I tap Download?
Open Safari’s download arrow, then the Downloads folder from Settings. Look for the name that ends with -compressed.
The form still says the file is too large. What now?
Read the size on the card. If the goal was missed, use a smaller width or save the photo as JPG, then compress again from the original.
Check it once before you upload
Open the download at the size the form will show. If the face or the words are still clear, upload that file. Leave the camera original in Photos until you are finished.