Here Target size is set to 500 KB, the output to JPG, and Maximum size to 2560 pixels on the longest side. That is the size of a 1440p monitor and more than a phone screen shows, so the result still looks like the original while weighing a fraction of it: a typical 3 to 6 MB phone photo comes out at roughly a tenth of its size.
A budget between the small and the large limits
You meet a 500 KB cap on some application portals, job sites, membership forms and support desks that take a few documents or photos each. It is roomy enough that you don’t have to shrink a photo to thumbnail size, as you do for 20 or 50 KB, but tight enough that an original from a modern phone never fits on its own.
| Longest side | Pixels (3:2 photo) | Bits per pixel at 500 KB |
|---|---|---|
| 1920 | 2.5 million | 1.6 |
| 2560 | 4.4 million | 0.9 |
| 4032 | 10.8 million | 0.37 |
| 8064 | 43.4 million | 0.09 |
Around one bit per pixel is where JPG stops showing its compression to most eyes, which is why this page stops at 2560. If a form needs a smaller picture, pick a lower maximum; if it asks for a higher resolution, raise it and the quality will drop to fit.
Scans and documents
A scanned page or a photo of a document compresses well, because paper is mostly flat colour. For several pages, compress each scan here and attach the files, or combine them afterwards into a PDF. Text stays readable at 2560 pixels for an A4 or Letter page, about 220 pixels per inch across its long side.
What happens to each file
The tool tries JPG quality 92 first and lowers it step by step until the file is under 500,000 bytes. Only if quality 40 is still too big does it reduce the pixels further. GPS location and camera details are removed unless you choose to keep them, and nothing leaves your browser.
The settings on this page
| Mode | Target size: under 500 KB (500,000 bytes) |
|---|---|
| Format | JPG |
| Maximum size | 2560 × 2560 px |
| Metadata | Removed (EXIF, GPS location) |
Every setting can be changed in the tool above; the page only chooses where it starts.