Usually quality is enough
A 12-megapixel phone still is often 2–4MB. At 500KB you can frequently keep the pixel count and only re-encode. That is the difference from 200KB, where the same photo often has to shrink.
If the picture is a 40-megapixel export or a 16-bit PNG, we may still step the edge down. The result line will say so.
Not the email page
One 500KB image inside a 25MB mailbox is easy. Ten of them are not. If the problem is the whole message, use the email page and budget per photo.
How it works
- 500KB is already in the box.
- We search JPEG quality to stay at or under 500KB.
- Resize only if that search cannot land.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I type 450KB instead?
Yes. This page is a starting point. The compressor accepts any number.
Will a poster still be readable?
At 500KB, most posters and product shots stay usable on the web. Pixel-peep a face if you care; do not expect ID-photo rules.