How to Reduce a Photo's File Size (to 100 KB or Less)
Visa portals, job applications and exam registrations often reject photos over a certain size, such as 100 KB. A phone photo is usually 2–5 MB. Here is how to get it under the limit.
Why phone photos are so large
Modern phones take photos of 12 megapixels or more and save them at high quality. That is great for printing, but far more than an online form needs. A passport photo for a form is usually only 600×600 pixels.
Two ways to make a file smaller
- Lower the JPG quality: removes detail you rarely notice and shrinks the file a lot.
- Reduce the dimensions: fewer pixels means a smaller file. Only do this if the form doesn't require a specific pixel size.
Compress to an exact size with Nouply
- Open the image compressor and choose your photo, or several at once.
- Choose Target size and enter the limit from the form, for example 100 KB.
- Keep JPG as the format; it is accepted almost everywhere.
- Download the result. Nouply finds the highest quality that still fits under your limit.
Tips for official forms
- If the form gives a minimum and maximum size, aim for the middle.
- Don't convert to WebP unless the form says it is accepted.
- For passport photos, use the file size option in the passport photo tool: it keeps the required pixel size and only lowers quality.
- Some systems count 1 KB as 1,024 bytes and others as 1,000. Nouply uses 1,000, so the result fits both.
Is it private?
Yes. Compression runs entirely in your browser. Your photos are never uploaded, and re-encoding also removes location data and other EXIF metadata from the file.
Related guides
- How to Take a Passport Photo at Home with Your PhoneTake a passport or visa photo at home with your phone: lighting, background, camera position and the most common mistakes, step by step.
- Passport Photo Rules: Background, Expression, Glasses and MoreThe rules most passport and visa photos must follow: background color, head size, expression, glasses, head coverings and photo age.
- Passport and Visa Photo Sizes by CountryPhoto size, head height and background color for passport and visa photos of the US, Schengen, UK, Canada, Türkiye, China, India and more.
- Can You Wear Glasses in a Passport Photo?Whether glasses are allowed in passport and visa photos depends on the country. The rules for the US, Türkiye and ICAO-based photos, and what to do if you can't take them off.
- How Old Can a Passport Photo Be?Most countries want a passport or visa photo taken within the last six months. The rules for the US, Türkiye, Australia, China, South Korea and Schengen visas.