How to use the Image Compressor online
Two things shrink an image: fewer pixels and stronger compression. A photo from a modern phone is 4000 pixels or more across, far larger than any screen shows it, so limiting the width to 1920 pixels alone often cuts the file by 70 percent. Quality then trades fine detail for size; at the Balanced setting the difference is hard to see.
PNG images are lossless, so the quality setting does not apply to them in the same way. Saving a photo PNG as WebP or JPG is the big win; for PNG screenshots and graphics that must stay PNG, use the PNG compressor, which reduces the colour palette instead.
Images are decoded and re-encoded by your browser's own image engine, so nothing is uploaded and each image takes about a second.
A good default for photos going on the web is a maximum width of 1920 pixels at Balanced quality, which usually lands between 200 and 500 KB. For email attachments, 1280 pixels is plenty. Saving as WebP instead of JPG usually trims another quarter or so from each photo, and every current browser displays it.
Image Compressor settings explained
| Quality: High | 85 on the JPEG and WebP scale. Hard to tell from the original. |
|---|---|
| Quality: Balanced | 75. The default; the best size for photos on the web. |
| Quality: Small file | 60. Visible softening in fine detail, very small files. |
| Maximum width | 2560, 1920, 1280 or 800 pixels. Scales down only. |
| Save as | Keep the format, or switch to WebP or JPG for bigger savings. |
When to compress images
Image compression matters most on websites and in email. Large images are the main reason pages load slowly, and page speed affects both visitors and search rankings. Shops, blogs and portfolios usually resize photos to the width they are displayed at and save them at Balanced quality. For email, compressing photos keeps messages under attachment limits and quick to open on phones.
Before you compress
Decide where the image will be shown before compressing. A blog or shop usually displays images no wider than 1200 to 1920 pixels, and an email or chat preview far less. Resizing to the display size and saving at Balanced quality gives the smallest file that still looks sharp.
How to use the Image Compressor, step by step
- Press the Choose button or drag files onto the box. You can add several at once, and they never leave your device.
- Set quality and the output format to suit where the file is going. The defaults are a good starting point.
- Press Compress. Images are processed in about a second each.
- Check the result next to each file: the original size, the new size and the percentage saved. If the settings would make a file bigger, you are told instead of being given a larger file.
- Press Download to save each compressed file.
What decides how small it gets
Two things decide how much an image shrinks: how many pixels it has and how much fine detail they hold. A 4000 pixel phone photo resized to 1920 pixels keeps less than a quarter of its pixels. After that, quality decides how much fine texture is kept. Photos of skies and walls compress more than photos of foliage, gravel or text, and graphics with flat colour compress most of all.
Is it safe to compress images online?
With most online tools, "online" means your file is uploaded to a company's server, processed there and kept for a while before it is deleted. Here it is not. The page downloads the converter code to your browser, and your file is read and processed inside the tab on your own device. It is never sent to TapToConvert or anyone else.
You can check this yourself: once the page and, for audio and video, the converter engine have loaded, turn off Wi-Fi and the tool still works. That also means there is no queue, no daily limit and no size cap set by a server. The only limit is the memory your browser gives a single tab.
Image Compressor FAQ
What is the best format for small images?
WebP is usually 25 to 35 percent smaller than JPG at the same visual quality and supports transparency. Every current browser displays it, though some older desktop apps do not open it.
Does compressing remove photo location data?
Yes. Re-encoding through the browser drops EXIF metadata, including GPS location, camera model and date taken.
Will compressed images look worse?
At the Balanced setting the difference is very hard to see on screen. Resizing to the display width saves the most without any visible cost.
Can I compress PNG, WebP and JPG together?
Yes. Add a mix of files; each is compressed in its own format unless you choose WebP or JPG under Save as.
Are my files uploaded?
No. Compression runs inside your browser tab, so your files stay on your device and are never sent to a server.