Compress Image to 1 MB

How the 1 MB target works

1. If your image is already under 1 MB, you get the original file back, untouched. Nothing is recompressed for no reason.
2. Otherwise the compressor tries the highest quality that fits, at full size, using a binary search over the encoder's quality setting.
3. Only if no quality setting fits at full size does it shrink the dimensions, in steps of 15%, and search again.
4. The result is offered only after its real file size has been measured and confirmed to be at or under the target. It never relies on an estimate.

For a typical phone photo, step 2 is usually enough: at 1 MB most photos keep their full resolution.

What happens to your file

Photo metadata (EXIF), including GPS location, camera model and date, is removed from the output. The photo's visual orientation is kept, so a portrait photo stays upright.

If an upload form only accepts JPG and your source is a PNG, convert it with PNG to JPG first and then compress the JPG.

"1 MB" isn't always the same number

This tool treats 1 MB as 1,024 KB = 1,048,576 bytes, the way Windows and most software count. Some websites mean 1,000,000 bytes, about 4.6% less. A file of 1,030,000 bytes passes the first definition and fails the second.

If a form rejects a file this page says is under 1 MB, open Compress Image to Target Size and set the target to 950 KB. That fits under either definition with a little margin.

Rough sizes before compression

Screenshots of text and scanned documents compress very well because they have large areas of flat color. Photos of grass, gravel, crowds or anything with fine noisy texture are the hardest to shrink without visible loss.

FAQ

Is my photo uploaded to a server?

No. The image is decoded and re-encoded in your browser. It never leaves your device, which matters for ID documents, signatures and personal photos.

Will the photo lose quality?

A little, and usually not visibly at 1 MB. The compressor keeps the highest quality that fits, and reduces the resolution only when quality alone isn't enough. Zoom in on faces and small text before you submit.

How do I compress a photo to less than 1 MB?

Select the photo above and download the result. The 1 MB target is already selected, and the output is always at or below it.

Can I compress several photos at once?

This page handles one image at a time. For a batch, use the Bulk Image Resizer, which resizes many images and downloads them as a ZIP.

My form needs 500 KB or 200 KB, not 1 MB.

Use Compress Image to 500 KB or Compress Image to 200 KB, or set any target on Compress Image to Target Size.