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Compress a JPG

Shrink JPG photos with a real quality slider and see the exact bytes you saved.

Shrink a JPG with a quality slider that maps directly to the JPEG encoder's quantisation strength, and see the real bytes saved before you download.

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Drop your image here

or choose an image from your device

Accepts JPG images · No fixed size limit — we adapt to what your device can handle. Very large files may take longer or show a warning.

About JPG Compressor

What the slider actually does

The value you pick controls how aggressively the JPEG encoder rounds off fine detail in each 8×8 pixel block. Higher values keep more of that detail and produce a bigger file; lower values discard more and shrink faster, with visible cost in gradients and edges below about 65.

Why re-compressing sometimes does nothing

If a photo was already saved at, say, quality 75, asking this tool for quality 85 produces a file the same size or larger with no visual improvement — you can't add back detail that's already gone. Go noticeably below the source's original quality, or resize the dimensions instead, to see a real reduction.

Settings and output

Quality slider

80–85 is close to visually lossless for most photos. 70–75 is fine for thumbnails and background images. Below 65 you'll see 8×8 blocking, especially in skies and skin tones.

When to use it

  • Bringing a phone or camera photo under a specific upload size limit.
  • Reducing the weight of product or blog photos before publishing.
  • Testing how far a photo can be compressed before artefacts become visible.

Limitations to know

  • Compression is lossy and permanent — always keep an uncompressed original if you might need it again.
  • Repeated compression passes on the same output file compound quality loss.
  • Text and sharp graphic edges degrade faster than photographic content at the same quality value.

Common problems and fixes

My file barely got smaller after compressing.

The quality you picked was probably close to or above what the source was already saved at. Try a value clearly lower than that, or reduce the image's pixel dimensions for a bigger effect.

The photo looks blocky after compressing.

The quality value is too low for this image's content. Raise it back up — 80+ is a safe range for most photographs.

Does this remove GPS or camera info from my photo?

Yes. The image is redrawn from decoded pixels and re-encoded, so EXIF metadata including location data isn't carried into the output.

How to use it

  1. 1Drop a JPG photo into the upload area.
  2. 2Move the quality slider. This sets the JPEG encoder's quantisation strength directly — it is not a cosmetic setting.
  3. 3Press Compress. The photo is decoded and re-encoded once at your chosen quality.
  4. 4Read the measured saving, and if it isn't enough, slide lower and compress the original again rather than the output.

Frequently asked questions

Is re-compressing an already-compressed JPG harmful?

Every JPG save applies lossy compression again, so detail degrades a little each round trip. Always go back to the original file and try a different quality instead of compressing an output repeatedly.

What quality should I choose?

80–85 is nearly indistinguishable from the original for photos. 70–75 is fine for web thumbnails. Below 65 you'll see 8×8 blocking in skies and gradients.

Why did my file barely shrink?

If the source was already saved at quality 75, asking for 85 gives you a file the same size or larger with no visual gain. Pick a value clearly below the original's quality, or reduce the dimensions instead.

Does compressing remove EXIF and GPS data?

Yes. The photo is re-drawn from decoded pixels, so camera metadata and location tags are not carried into the new file.

Related guides

Not sure which settings this image needs? Run it through the image optimization tool to get an optimization score and automatic format, quality and size choices.

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