Frequently asked questions
Everything people usually ask us about SmallImg, organized by topic. If you cannot find your question here, reach us from the contact page.
About SmallImg
What exactly does SmallImg do?
It compresses, converts between formats (JPG, PNG, WebP, AVIF, HEIC), and resizes images directly in your browser, without uploading them to any server.
Is it free?
Yes, all current tools are free and do not require creating an account.
Do I need to sign up?
No. Open the site, upload your image, and download the result — no account, email, or password.
Can I use the processed images commercially?
Yes. The processed image is yours, just like the original — SmallImg only changes format, file size, or dimensions and does not claim any rights over the result.
Privacy and data
Are my images uploaded to a server?
No. All processing — compression, conversion, resizing, background removal — happens in your browser. The file never leaves your device.
Do you keep a copy of my images?
We do not store any image you process. As soon as you close or reload the tab, it disappears from browser memory.
Is it safe for ID photos or personal documents?
Yes — local processing means nothing is sent to an external server, which makes it suitable for sensitive documents that should not leave your machine.
Are EXIF metadata (location, camera, date) removed when processing?
It depends on the tool and output format — some conversions strip them by default, others keep them. Check each tool's page if you need certainty for your case.
Formats and conversion
Which input formats do you accept?
JPG, PNG, WebP, AVIF, and HEIC (iPhone photos) as input; you can convert between almost all of them.
Does WebP work in all browsers?
Yes, all modern browsers (Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Edge) have supported it for years, both for viewing and generating.
Are JPG and JPEG the same?
Yes, exactly the same format — the name difference comes from an MS-DOS filename limitation from over 30 years ago.
Is quality lost when converting between formats?
It depends on the pair: converting to a lossy format (JPG, WebP at reduced quality) may lose detail; converting to lossless PNG or WebP does not.
Can I convert several images at once?
Yes, most tools accept batches of multiple files and download them together in a ZIP.
Compression and file size
What quality setting compresses without visible loss?
Between 80% and 90% JPG quality is usually the sweet spot — 100% rarely looks better than 85–90% but produces a noticeably heavier file.
Is there lossless compression?
Yes, for PNG and lossless WebP — they reduce size by reorganizing file data without discarding pixels, though savings are smaller than lossy compression.
Does resizing also reduce file size?
Almost always — fewer pixels means less data even at the same quality, so combining both gives the best result.
Is there a file size or image count limit?
We do not set a fixed limit — the real constraint is your browser's memory, which you are unlikely to hit with normal photos.
Compatibility
Does it work on mobile?
Yes, just as well on mobile as desktop, including uploading directly from the camera or gallery.
Which browsers are supported?
Any modern browser: Chrome, Safari, Firefox, and Edge, on mobile and desktop.
Do I need to install anything?
No. SmallImg runs directly in the browser, with no app or extension to download.
Support and next steps
I found a problem or a file will not process. How do I report it?
Write to us from the contact page explaining what happened — the more details (source and target format, file size), the faster we can review.
Will you add more tools or formats?
Yes, we keep expanding SmallImg with new features and formats. New tools are announced first on the home page.
I need to adapt an image to a specific social media size — do you have that?
That is what our sister site SmallAdapt does: it crops and adapts your image to the exact size for Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and more, by format name (Story, thumbnail, banner...) instead of pixels.
Didn't find what you were looking for? Write to us and we will reply — and if it could help others, it will probably end up here. We are also expanding the available tools, so if this does not solve what you need today, we may already cover it tomorrow.