Why the form rejects your photo

Application, exam and government portals often cap photos and signature scans at 100 KB, 200 KB or similar. A phone photo is usually several megabytes, so it can be dozens of times over the limit. Lowering quality alone often isn't enough; the number of pixels has to come down too.

How "KB" is counted

Most forms count 1 KB as 1,000 bytes, but some count it as 1,024 bytes. A 100 KB limit is therefore either 100,000 or 102,400 bytes. If you aim for 100,000 bytes you're safe under both. File Compressor shows the exact byte count of the result so you can check.

Step by step

  1. Check the form's rules. Note the size limit, and any required dimensions, format (usually JPG) or background colour.
  2. Crop first. Remove empty background in your phone's photo editor. Fewer pixels leave more of the byte budget for the part that matters.
  3. Use a target size. Open Compress image to 100 KB (or 200 KB) and choose the photo. The tool tries quality first, then reduces dimensions step by step if needed.
  4. Check the result. Look for the Target met badge and open the downloaded file to make sure faces and text are still clear.

If the form also sets pixel dimensions

Some portals require a size such as 600 × 600 pixels. Crop to the right shape in your photo app first, then set Maximum dimension under Advanced settings so the tool doesn't exceed it.

When the limit can't be met

For very detailed images the tool may report Above target: it couldn't reach the limit at an acceptable quality. Crop tighter, or allow smaller dimensions. A blurry upload is usually worse than asking for a slightly smaller crop.

HEIC photos from iPhone

iPhones often save photos as HEIC, which many forms (and this tool) don't accept. On iPhone, Settings → Camera → Formats → Most Compatible makes the camera save JPG instead; existing photos can be exported as JPG from the Photos or Files app.