Compress image to 50 KB
Make a photo fit under 50 KB. The limit is already set: choose the picture and press Compress.
This free online tool to compress an image to 50 KB runs in your browser, with nothing to install and no account. Add several photos to bring each one under 50 KB in one go. How the files you choose are handled is set out in the privacy policy.
How to compress an image to 50 KB
- Tap Choose pictures and select the photo. You can select several.
- A size limit is already chosen, with 50 in the box. Change the number if your form asks for something else.
- Press Compress. The result shows the size before and after.
- Press Save picture. The original file is not changed.
Each picture is saved as a JPG at the best quality that fits under 50 KB. The limit is counted with 1,024 bytes to the KB, as Windows and nearly all upload forms count, so 50 KB allows up to 51,200 bytes.
The line under the result rounds in units of 1,000 bytes, so a file close to the limit can read a little higher there than it does in Windows. If a form still refuses the file, type a slightly smaller number, such as 48, and compress again.
What fits in 50 KB
Fifty kilobytes is the most common limit for the photo on an application form. It is enough for a clear head-and-shoulders picture, and not enough for a full-size camera photo.
| Picture | Size in pixels that looks good under 50 KB |
|---|---|
| A passport-style face photo on a plain background | About 400 to 600 pixels wide |
| A photo of a card or a certificate | About 600 pixels wide |
| A detailed photo, such as a group or a landscape | About 400 pixels wide |
If your picture is larger than that, the tool lowers the quality first and, if that is not enough, reduces the size in pixels until the file fits. The result tells you when it has done so.
Photos for application forms
Job portals, university admissions, exam registrations and visa forms nearly all ask for a recent photo within a size range, very often 20 to 50 KB.
- Stand in front of a plain, light wall. A plain background also compresses better than a busy one, which leaves more of the 50 KB for your face.
- Cut the picture to the shape the form wants before compressing. Passport photo size locks the frame to 35 × 45 mm or 2 × 2 inches.
- If the form gives a size in pixels as well, set it with resize image, then compress.
Lower and upper limits
A range such as “20 KB to 50 KB” has a floor as well as a ceiling. This tool aims for the ceiling: it keeps the quality as high as the limit allows, so a normal photo lands just under 50 KB and clears the floor easily.
A result well under the floor means the picture is small in pixels or has almost no detail. Start again from the original photo, not from a copy that was already reduced.
JPG or WebP
Leave Save as on JPG for anything going to a form. WebP gives better quality in the same 50 KB, but many upload forms reject it. For a website or a chat, where WebP is accepted, it is the better choice.
For a tighter limit, use compress image to 20 KB. For more room, use compress image to 100 KB.
Questions
How do I compress a photo to 50 KB?
Choose the photo and press Compress. The limit of 50 KB is already filled in. The picture is saved as a JPG at the best quality that fits.
How do I get a photo between 20 KB and 50 KB?
Compress to 50 KB. The result is normally just under the limit, which puts it inside the range.
Will a 50 KB photo be clear enough?
For a head-and-shoulders photo, yes. Faces on a plain background still look clean at this size. Fine print in a document may not, and needs a larger limit.
Can I compress several photos to 50 KB at once?
Yes. Select them together. Each one is brought under 50 KB separately, and they are saved together as a ZIP.
Does it work with photos from an iPhone?
Yes. JPG photos always work, and HEIC photos work on devices that can decode them. The result is a JPG either way.