How to resize a photo in KB on an Android phone or iPhone

You can resize a photo to a KB limit on your phone without installing anything. Open our Image Resizer in Chrome or Safari, pick the photo from your gallery, choose the KB limit (and the pixel or cm size if your form gives one), and download the JPG. The tool shows the final size before you save it.

It runs inside the browser, so the photo isn't uploaded to us. That also means you don't need a "photo compressor" app asking for access to your whole gallery just to shrink one picture.

Step by step on Android

1. Open Chrome (or any modern browser) and go to the Image Resizer. If you only need a size limit, the Resize Image to 50 KB page opens with 50 KB already set.
2. Tap to add an image. Android will offer your gallery, camera or files. Pick the original photo, not a WhatsApp copy.
3. If your form gives dimensions, choose Pixels or cm and type them. Keep proportions is on by default, so changing the width also changes the height.
4. Under maximum file size, choose 20, 50, 100 or 200 KB, or type your own figure between 5 and 5000 KB.
5. Look at the result line. It shows the final KB and pixel size.
6. Download. Chrome normally saves to your Downloads folder. You can also open Chrome's menu and tap Downloads to see it.

When the exam portal asks for the file, choose Files or Browse in the picker and go to Downloads. The file is named by its size, such as resized-200x230.jpg, which makes it easy to spot.

Step by step on iPhone

1. Open Safari and go to the Image Resizer.
2. Tap to add an image and choose Photo Library. HEIC photos are accepted, so there's nothing to convert first.
3. Set the dimensions if needed, and the KB limit.
4. Check the KB and pixel size shown, then download.
5. After a download, Safari shows a Downloads button next to the search field. The file also appears in the Files app, in the Downloads folder (inside iCloud Drive if you don't see it on the Browse screen).

When you upload on the portal, choose "Choose File" or "Browse" rather than Photo Library, then open Downloads. If you prefer to keep it in Photos, open the file from Downloads and use the share button to save it there.

About iPhone HEIC photos

Many iPhones save photos in HEIF format, which shows up as .heic files. Apple says HEIF compresses better than JPEG, which saves storage. The catch is that upload forms in India usually ask for JPG or JPEG, so a .heic file can be refused even when it's under the KB limit.

You have three options:

• Let the resizer convert it. It accepts HEIC and always produces a JPG when you set a KB target. That's the simplest route for a one-off upload.
• Change the camera setting. In Settings, Camera, Formats, choose Most Compatible. Apple says new photos will then use JPEG. Choose High Efficiency to go back.
• Don't rely on automatic conversion. Apple notes that iPhone might send a photo as JPEG when sharing to a device that doesn't support HEIF, but that depends on how you share it. Converting it yourself is more predictable.

If you ever end up with a .heic file on an Android phone, say one sent from a friend's iPhone, the same tool handles it.

Getting a good result on a small screen

Phone screens make small images look sharper than they are, so a quick check helps before you upload.

• Pinch to zoom on the preview. Look at the eyes in a photo or the strokes in a signature. If they're smeary, reduce the pixel size rather than lowering the KB further.
• Work from the original photo. A screenshot of a photo, or a copy forwarded on WhatsApp, has already lost detail.
• Crop before you shrink. If the face is a small part of a big photo, set the shape your form wants, unlock Keep proportions, and use Crop & position to frame the face. The photo is cropped, never stretched.
• Keep the phone awake. The tool works on the phone, so a 25 MB photo may take a moment on an older handset. Don't switch apps while it's working.

For a signature, open the Signature Resizer instead. It trims the empty paper around your signature and whitens the background, which a phone photo taken under a tube light badly needs.

Common problems on phones

"File type not supported" on the exam site. The file is probably still HEIC or PNG. Run it through the resizer with a KB limit set, which always gives a JPG.

The download seems to vanish. On Android, check Chrome's Downloads list. On iPhone, check the Downloads folder in Files. Searching the Files app for "resized" also works.

The portal says the image is too small in KB. The tool doesn't pad files. Raise the pixel size slightly and check the KB again.

The page is slow or freezes. Very large photos (the tool accepts up to 25 MB and 50 megapixels) take more memory. Close other tabs, or take a fresh photo at a lower camera resolution.

The portal won't open the file picker at all. That is a site problem rather than a file problem. Try the portal in another browser, or on a computer.

Questions people ask

Do I need to install an app?

No. The Image Resizer works in Chrome on Android and Safari on iPhone. Nothing is installed and there's no sign-up.

Is my photo sent to your server?

No. It is processed on your phone, inside the browser, and not uploaded. The JPG you download also leaves out the location data your camera may have stored.

What size should I choose?

The one in your form's notice. Our guide to compressing a photo to 50 KB explains the trade-off between pixels and quality, and the photo and signature guide shows how to read a notification.

Can I resize several photos at once?

The Image Resizer takes one image at a time. Do each photo separately so you can check each result.

Sources

• Apple Support: Using HEIF or HEVC media on Apple devices
• Apple Support: Where to find downloads on your iPhone or iPad