What size should a WhatsApp photo be?

A chat photo has no fixed size. Measurements put the long edge at about 1600 pixels and any ratio is accepted, so this tool caps the long edge instead of forcing your picture into a shape. The one size WhatsApp actually publishes is for stickers: exactly 512 × 512 pixels, under 100 KB.

Why does my screenshot arrive blurry?

Screenshots are flat colour and small text, which is what JPEG handles worst. Pick PNG for a screenshot or a receipt, and never enlarge it — upscaling gives the compressor more pixels to guess at, not more detail.

Can I send a photo without WhatsApp compressing it?

Send it as a document rather than as a photo. In one measured test the file arrived byte-for-byte identical, with all of its metadata intact — including the GPS coordinates of where it was taken. That comes from a single published measurement we have not replicated.

WhatsApp image optimizer Free, no signup

Resize your photo before WhatsApp does it for you

WhatsApp re-encodes every image you send, whatever size it started at. Do the resize yourself and you decide what gets thrown away. Your file never leaves this page.

Optimise an image

Choose an image

Drag an image here, paste one, or browse your filesJPEG, PNG or WebP. It is read in your browser and never uploaded.

Where is it going?

Chat photoNo fixed size. The long edge is capped at about 1600 px and any ratio is kept.MeasuredGroup photoThe same limits as a chat photo, but it reaches more people on slower connections, so smaller is kinder.MeasuredChannel updateAn ordinary image sent to a Channel. There is no separate channel image spec, and no channel cover exists.MeasuredStatus9:16 is the ratio WhatsApp documents; 1080 × 1920 is our pixel choice at that ratio. HD is not offered here.Our choiceProfile pictureMasked to a circle. WhatsApp publishes no size at all, so 640 × 640 is ours. HD is not offered here.Our choiceStickerExactly 512 × 512 and under 100 KB — the one pixel size WhatsApp really does document.DocumentedScreenshot or receiptNot a WhatsApp surface, but the most common complaint by far. Flat colour and small text want PNG, and never an upscale.Measured

Result

Choose an image and it will be resized here.

Two things worth knowing before you use any of this

Sending from WhatsApp Web or Desktop measured a noticeably higher JPEG quality factor than the phone apps — around 92 against roughly 71. (91.86)

Attaching the picture as a document rather than as a photo bypassed the image pipeline completely: the file arrived byte-for-byte identical.

Document mode also keeps the original metadata, including where the photo was taken, so do not use it for a picture you would not want to share a location with. Both document-mode findings come from a single published measurement with no independent replication.

Measured in 2020 · read the source

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What you actually get

It always re-encodes, not just big files

Every image you send is compressed again, whatever size it started at. The only thing you control is how much work you leave it, and a picture already at the right size loses far less.

Safe zones you can actually see

A profile picture is masked to a circle, and status covers the top and bottom of the frame with its own controls. The preview draws both, so a cropped logo is something you catch here rather than after you send it.

Nothing is uploaded

The crop, the resize and the encode all happen in your browser on a canvas. Open your network tab and check: there is no upload request to find.

Common questions

What size should a WhatsApp photo be?: A chat photo has no fixed size. Measurements put the long edge at about 1600 pixels and any ratio is accepted, so this tool caps the long edge instead of forcing your picture into a shape. The one size WhatsApp actually publishes is for stickers: exactly 512 × 512 pixels, under 100 KB.
Why does my screenshot arrive blurry?: Screenshots are flat colour and small text, which is what JPEG handles worst. Pick PNG for a screenshot or a receipt, and never enlarge it — upscaling gives the compressor more pixels to guess at, not more detail.
Can I send a photo without WhatsApp compressing it?: Send it as a document rather than as a photo. In one measured test the file arrived byte-for-byte identical, with all of its metadata intact — including the GPS coordinates of where it was taken. That comes from a single published measurement we have not replicated.