Keep full resolution under 2MB
Photos from cameras and high-resolution phones can be 5 to 20 MB or more. At 2 MB there is enough room to keep all the pixels of most of them at a quality that looks the same as the original at normal viewing size. The tool always tries quality first and only reduces dimensions if the lowest quality still doesn't fit.
The upload limit is 25 MB and 80 megapixels per file, which covers nearly all cameras.
How to compress a photo to 2MB
Upload the photo and keep the 2 MB target. JPG is the right output for most uses, and WebP is an option for websites. PNG originals are saved as JPG by default. If you switch the output to PNG, the target no longer applies, because PNG is lossless. Compare details like text on signs or fine textures with the slider, then download.
Is a 2MB photo good enough for printing?
Print quality depends mostly on pixel dimensions. A photo of 3000 by 2000 pixels printed at 300 pixels per inch makes a 10 by 6.7 inch print, and a well-compressed 2 MB JPG at that size prints cleanly. Keeping the original dimensions is more important than keeping the original file size.
For large prints or professional printing, ask the print service what they need and keep an untouched copy of the original.
When 2MB isn't the right choice
For a web page, 2 MB is heavy. A target of 500 KB or less loads faster and looks the same at screen size. If the destination has no size limit and you need maximum quality for editing or archiving, keep the original instead of compressing it. And if a portal allows 2 MB but only shows the photo small, a smaller target uploads faster with no visible difference.