Resize an image to 1 MB
One megabyte is a ceiling rather than a target. Nobody sets it because they want a smaller picture; they set it to stop someone attaching a twelve megapixel original to a web form. That makes this the one size where the honest advice is often to change the dimensions and leave the compression alone entirely.
No images yet. Add a photo and set the size you need.
Resize, do not compress
A photograph that is five megabytes is almost always oversized in pixels rather than saved at unnecessarily high quality. Reducing the longest side to around two and a half thousand pixels usually brings it comfortably under a megabyte while the quality setting stays at maximum. Nothing you can see is lost, because no screen was going to show those extra pixels anyway.
Email and messaging limits
- Most email services accept attachments of twenty to twenty five megabytes in total, so 1 MB per photo lets you send a good number in one message.
- Sending a picture through a chat app as a photo re-compresses it, sometimes heavily. Sending it as a document or file keeps it as it is.
- If you are sending many photos, a single archive or PDF is easier for the recipient than a long list of attachments.
When the limit is in megabytes, read it carefully
Some forms mean a megabyte as 1000 kilobytes and others as 1024, and a file at 1023 KB can pass one and fail the other. This page targets 1000 KB, which satisfies both readings. If a form states a total limit for several files rather than a per-file limit, divide the budget before you start rather than discovering the problem at the last upload.
Steps
- Choose your photo.
- The limit here is already set to 1000 KB, which is under 1 MB on either reading.
- Check the new size. The picture should look unchanged.
- Press Download.
Questions
Is 1 MB the same as 1000 KB or 1024 KB?
Both definitions are in use. This page targets 1000 KB so the result is under 1 MB whichever way the form counts it.
Should I compress at all at this size?
Often you only need smaller dimensions, not heavier compression. Reducing the longest side to around 2500 pixels usually gets you under 1 MB with no visible change.
Why did my photo stay large after I sent it through a chat app?
Sending as a photo re-compresses the image, sometimes making it noticeably worse. Send it as a document or file to keep it exactly as you resized it.