Compress an image to 2 MB
Get a photo, scan or PNG under 2MB, the limit for a YouTube thumbnail, keeping its full resolution where it can. Free, and nothing is uploaded.
Last updated
2 MB is a common ceiling on uploads, and the limit for a YouTube thumbnail. Phone photos are usually between 2 and 6 MB because they are saved at the highest quality for editing, and PNG screenshots and scans can be larger still. This page re-saves the picture at the highest quality that fits under 2 MB, and only makes it smaller if it must.
How much picture fits in 2 MB
About 8 megapixels of detailed photograph at high JPG quality, or 17 megapixels at a lower one. A picture with plain areas, such as sky or a wall, fits more.
So a 12-megapixel phone photo fits at full resolution, with the quality lowered a little.
A 48- or 50-megapixel photo does not fit at full size; it is brought down to about 17 megapixels, which is still more than any screen shows.
Where a 2 MB limit comes from
PHP, which runs a large share of the web’s upload forms, ships with a 2 MB upload limit, and many sites never raise it. Job portals, school systems and small-business sites stop there for that reason.
YouTube thumbnails are also capped at 2 MB.
PNGs and screenshots
A PNG is lossless, which is why it is big. Saving it as JPG usually takes it well under the limit; if it has text on it, check that the text is still crisp.
Questions
How do I make a picture less than 2MB?
Add it here and press the button. It is re-saved as a JPG at the highest quality that fits under 2 MB.
Will it lose resolution?
Only if quality alone cannot get it there, which for most photos at this size it can.
Is my photo uploaded?
No. Everything happens in your browser, on your device.