Trusted Reviews is supported by its audience. If you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a commission. Learn more.

How to shrink the size of an image

There are few things more annoying than trying to upload an image to a website or attach a photo to an email only to be told that your file is too big.

We’ve created this guide to show you how to shrink an image in your browser without installing any new software or signing up for an expensive editing subscription.

Keep reading to learn how to shrink the size of an image in a matter of minutes.

What you’ll need 

  • A free Adobe account
  • An image to resize 

The Short Version 

  1. Go to Adobe’s free Adobe Express image resizer 
  2. Click Upload Your Photo 
  3. Upload your image 
  4. Select Custom in the dropdown menu 
  5. Reduce the width of the image 
  6. Hit Download

How to shrink the size of an image

  1. Step
    1

    Go to Adobe’s free Adobe Express image resizer 

    You’ll need to make a free Adobe account if you don’t already have one. However, there’s no need to sign up for Creative Cloud or enter your card details. How to shrink the size of an image

  2. Step
    2

    Click Upload Your Photo 

    This will take you to the upload page. How to shrink the size of an image

  3. Step
    3

    Upload your image 

    You can drag any image from your desktop or click on the uploader to locate the image in your files. How to shrink the size of an image

  4. Step
    4

    Select Custom in the dropdown menu 

    You can also use any of the social media options to resize your image for a specific platform. How to shrink the size of an image

  5. Step
    5

    Reduce the width of the image 

    As long as the lock between the two dimensions is selected, the height will automatically be adjusted in line with the width entered. The smaller the number, the smaller your final image will be. How to shrink the size of an image

  6. Step
    6

    Hit Download

    You can find your resized image in your downloads folder or wherever you usually save images on your PC. How to shrink the size of an image

Troubleshooting

How to resize an image in Adobe Photoshop

If you already have Photoshop installed on your desktop, visit our guide to learn how to resize a photo using the popular Adobe editing software.

Do I need an Adobe account to use the free Adobe Express resizing tool?

Yes, you do need an account – even if you don’t sign in at first, Adobe will ask you to sign in or create an account when you go to download the image. However, unlike Photoshop, you don’t need to pay, enter any card details or install an app to use the Adobe Express resizing tool.

Why trust our journalism?

Founded in 2003, Trusted Reviews exists to give our readers thorough, unbiased and independent advice on what to buy.

Today, we have millions of users a month from around the world, and assess more than 1,000 products a year.

author icon

Editorial independence

Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.

author icon

Professional conduct

We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.

Trusted Reviews Logo

Sign up to our newsletter

Get the best of Trusted Reviews delivered right to your inbox.

This is a test error message with some extra words