Image Compressor
Shrink a photo in your browser. The file is never uploaded.
How this processes your file
The file is decoded by your browser, drawn onto a canvas at whatever size you choose, and re-encoded using the browser’s own JPEG or WebP encoder. Because the encoders ship with the browser, no library and no server is involved — which is what makes the "never uploaded" claim something you can verify in the network panel rather than something you have to take on trust.
What the results mean
- Saved
- How much smaller the result is. Under about 10% usually means the original was already near its practical limit.
- Size increase
- Shown when re-encoding made the file larger. This happens with screenshots and flat graphics, where PNG already beats what a lossy encoder can do.
- Quality
- The encoder’s effort setting from 0.5 to 0.9. Around 0.8 is the usual sweet spot; below 0.65 artefacts become visible on photographs.
- Metadata removed
- Re-encoding drops EXIF entirely, including GPS coordinates that would otherwise travel with a photo you share.
Common problems and fixes
- The compressed file is bigger than the original
- The image is a screenshot or flat graphic. Choose PNG, or keep the original — a larger file that also has lossy artefacts is the worst outcome.
- A photo came out rotated
- It should not: the EXIF orientation is applied before the metadata is stripped. If a photo still appears sideways, the original had no orientation tag and was stored rotated.
- A transparent PNG now has a white background
- JPEG has no transparency, so it is filled with white. Choose WebP or PNG to keep the alpha channel.
Frequently asked questions
Is my image uploaded anywhere?
No. The file is read with the File API and processed on a canvas in your own browser. Open your browser’s network panel while compressing and you will see no request carrying the image — there is no endpoint for it to go to.
Does this remove location data from my photos?
Yes, as a side effect. Re-encoding through a canvas discards all EXIF metadata, including GPS coordinates. If your only goal is stripping location before sharing, compressing at quality 0.9 achieves it with almost no visible change.
Why is WebP smaller than JPEG at the same quality?
WebP uses a more modern compression method and is typically 25–35% smaller at comparable visual quality. Every current browser supports it; only very old software may not.