5 Ways to Reduce Photo Size on Windows

Key Takeaways 

• You can use the Photos app to resize and adjust the quality of a photo to reduce its file size.
• Microsoft Paint also allows you to resize photos by percentage or pixels.
• Web tools like TinyPNG and Compressor.io can compress photos in bulk.

Method 1: Using Microsoft Photos App

The default Photos app on Windows has several editing features. You can also use it to reduce a photo’s size. Follow the steps below.

Step 1: Press Windows + E to open the Windows Explorer menu.

Step 2: Browse to the folder with pictures. Right-click on a picture, select Open with, and choose Photos app from the submenu.

Step 3: Click the three horizontal dots menu at the top and select Resize.

Step 4: Use the Quality slider to reduce the photo size further. From the same menu, you can change the image width and height. Hit Save.

Save your compressed image to a preferred location in the Windows Explorer app.

Method 2: Using Microsoft Paint

Microsoft has completely redesigned the default Paint app on Windows. You can easily resize and compress photo sizes using the Paint app. Here’s how.

Step 1: Press Windows + E to open Windows Explorer. Browse to the pictures, right-click on a photo, select Open with, and select Paint from the submenu.

Step 2: Click the Resize option at the top or press Control + W shortcut.

Step 3: You can resize a photo by adjusting the Percentage or Pixels. After that, click OK to see the reduced image file in action.

Step 4: Hit the Save button and check the reduced file size on the bottom bar.

Step 5: Click File at the top and expand the Save As menu.

Step 6: Pick a preferred file type to save your picture and export it to a relevant folder on your PC.

Method 3: Compress Photos in Bulk Using Web Tools

You can also use web tools to reduce photo size on Windows. However, be careful while using web tools, as some sites may store a copy of the image you upload. Two options, especially for bulk compression, are TinyPNG and Compressor.io.

Step 1: Visit your preferred compression site.

Step 2: Drop your images or browse them from your PC. The images will be compressed automatically.

Step 3: Click Download all images.

Method 4: Using PowerToys

Microsoft offers PowerToys software, which comes with several tools to improve productivity. We recommend using PowerToys to reduce file size in several photos simultaneously.

Step 1: Install PowerToys from the Microsoft Store on Windows.

Step 2: Open PowerToys and select Image Resizer from the left sidebar. Turn on the toggle next to Enable Image Resizer.

Step 3: Check the default Preset sizes that can be used in the editor. You can add a new size or edit existing ones, too.

Step 4: Launch Windows Explorer by pressing Windows + E shortcut and select several images.

Step 5: Right-click on them and select Resize pictures from the context menu.

Step 6: Select a relevant size preset from the top menu, enable or disable necessary orientation options, and click Resize.

That’ll batch convert all those photos into smaller images per your choice.

Method 5: Using Third-Party Apps

There is no drought of third-party photo editing apps on Windows. Among them, PhotoScape X stands out due to its rich editing options. Here’s how to use PhotoScape X to reduce photo size on Windows.

Step 1: Install PhotoScape X from the Microsoft Store.

Step 2: Open PhotoScape X and select the path from the sidebar.

Step 3: Drag and drop images to the empty Editor area.

Step 4: From the menu that pops up at the top-right corner, click on Resize and change the width and height of the image. Then, hit Apply.

Step 5: Press Ctrl + S shortcut to open the Save menu. Use a JPEG Quality slider to reduce image size. Click Save.

While PhotoScape X is free, some editing features are behind a paywall. The Pro version costs $39.99.