When uploading photos to Facebook, many users wonder if the social media platform resizes or compresses their images in any way. The short answer is yes, Facebook does resize and compress images to optimize them for displaying on both desktop and mobile devices.
Why Does Facebook Resize Photos?
There are a few key reasons why Facebook resizes images:
- To reduce file sizes for quicker loading – Large, high-resolution image files take longer to upload and download. By resizing to smaller dimensions, file sizes are reduced significantly.
- To maintain consistent quality across devices – Photos look best when sized appropriately for the device display. Facebook resizes images to fit different screen sizes.
- To enhance performance – Smaller file sizes put less strain on servers and networks. Resizing minimizes bandwidth usage.
In summary, Facebook’s image resizing and compression helps deliver optimal viewing across platforms while managing storage and traffic demands.
What Are Facebook’s Upload Dimensions?
When you upload a photo to Facebook, it will be resized to the following dimensions:
- Width of 720 pixels if the original is larger than 720px
- Height of 960 pixels if the original is larger than 960px
Facebook used to have lower maximum dimensions of 504px width and 504px height. However, to support Retina displays on high resolution mobile devices, these were increased in 2016.
If you upload an image that is smaller than the maximum width and height, Facebook will not enlarge it. The original smaller version will remain intact.
How to Find the Optimized Size
To view the optimized dimensions of any photo you’ve uploaded:
- Go to the photo page on Facebook
- Click on the date the photo was posted
- Select ‘See Original’
This will display the resized version that Facebook created on upload. You’ll also see the original dimensions if your uploaded photo was larger.
Does Facebook Compress Photo Quality?
In addition to resizing dimensions, Facebook also compresses images to reduce file size. Both JPEG and PNG photos are compressed:
- JPEG – Facebook compresses JPEG photos to target an 82% quality level. Higher resolution JPEGs could see greater quality loss during compression.
- PNG – PNG images with transparent backgrounds are compressed through a process called quantization. This reduces colors to 200-250 levels.
The specific compression techniques aim to balance visual quality with smaller file sizes. However, some detail and color depth can be sacrificed, particularly for larger high-quality photo files.
Tips to Minimize Quality Loss
Here are a few tips to help maintain maximum image quality:
- Size images appropriately before uploading – Resize photos to Facebook’s 720px width and 960px height limits.
- Use JPEGs at lower quality levels – Save JPEG photos at 80-90% quality before uploading.
- Limit use of PNGs – JPEG is a better format for most photos.
- Add borders to PNGs – A 1px border avoids edge pixel loss during quantization.
Does Facebook Resize Photo Uploads for Business Pages?
Business Pages on Facebook are allowed larger maximum image dimensions than personal profiles:
- Width up to 2048px
- Height up to 2048px
However, the same compression and resizing logic applies. Facebook will resize images down to those maximum widths and heights as needed. JPEG quality and PNG quantization remain the same.
The larger dimensions for Business Pages let companies upload photos optimized for higher resolution displays. But any extremely large images will still be sized down.
Recommendations for Business Page Photos
Here are optimal practices for Business Page uploads:
- Create image content at 2048px width or height initially.
- Use higher resolution source files where available.
- Save JPEGs at 90%+ quality before uploading.
- Add borders to PNGs to limit edge pixel loss.
This will provide the highest quality while taking advantage of the larger dimensions.
Does Facebook Compress Video Uploads?
Like images, Facebook also compresses and processes video uploads to save bandwidth while optimizing playback. Here are the main processing steps for uploaded videos:
- Transcoding – Video is converted to H.264 encoded MP4 files in SD, HD, and 4K formats.
- Compression – A variable bitrate algorithm compresses video to target bandwidth. Higher motion clips see greater compression.
- Thumbnail Extraction – A still thumbnail image is extracted from the first frame.
As a result, the video file that is processed and hosted on Facebook will be lower quality than the originally uploaded file. The compression prioritizes smoother streaming over maximum video fidelity.
Tips for Best Video Quality
To maximize video quality within the constraints of Facebook’s compression:
- Upload highest quality original files possible
- Use clean HD sources with minimal noise/grain
- Optimize video encoding settings for social media
- Add text/logos/overlays before uploading
Taking these steps will help counteract some of the depth lost during Facebook’s transcoding and compression process.
Does Facebook Degrade Image Quality Over Time?
No, Facebook does not further compress or degrade images after the initial upload optimization. The resized and compressed version generated on upload is stored permanently.
However, photos may appear lower quality as viewing contexts change. For example:
- Viewing on higher resolution devices
- Zooming into portions of an image
- Printing from lower quality screens
Interactions like these reveal the limitations of Facebook’s upload processing. But the image itself remains unchanged once created.
Does Facebook Strip EXIF Data?
Yes, Facebook removes the EXIF metadata from images when they are uploaded. This includes information such as:
- Camera settings
- Date and time captured
- Geotag location
- Orientation
Any EXIF data is discarded during Facebook’s image optimization process. This may be to protect user privacy by removing sensitive metadata.
Exceptions
Some EXIF information may be retained in specific cases:
- Date taken – Displayed if the date is within 14 days of uploading
- Location – Retained if Location Services was enabled on upload
But most technical EXIF data is removed from photos added to Facebook.
Does Facebook Alter Image Dimensions?
Beyond just resizing for width and height, Facebook may also modify images in other ways during processing:
- Rotation – Images are automatically rotated based on EXIF orientation data.
- Upscaling – Small images may be upscaled using interpolation algorithms.
- Aspect Ratio – Dimensions may be adjusted slightly to maintain the original aspect ratio.
This auto-rotation, scaling, and cropping helps present images consistently in user feeds. Any edits are minor and aim to retain the core composition and visual quality.
Does Facebook Convert HEIC to JPEG?
Yes, Facebook converts HEIC images from Apple iOS devices to JPEG format on upload. HEIC (High Efficiency Image Container) is designed to reduce file sizes.
However, Facebook transcodes HEIC images to JPEG to ensure consistency and maximize compatibility across devices. JPEG remains the most widely supported image format.
The conversion to JPEG does introduce some loss of quality in terms of compression artifacts. But Facebook tries to retain optimal image quality relative to the original HEIC file size.
Does Facebook Alter Image Properties?
Beyond resizing and conversion, Facebook may alter additional image properties including:
- Bit depth – Images may be converted to 8-bit per channel to standardize color depth.
- Color profile – The embedded ICC color profile may be discarded.
- Metadata – All EXIF, XMP, IPTC metadata is removed, except for some limited EXIF fields.
This further optimizes images for display on screens. However, it can limit re-editing flexibility if downloading images from Facebook.
Does Facebook Degrade Image Quality More Over Time?
No, Facebook does not apply any additional compression or processing to images after they are initially uploaded and optimized. The quality and file size remain unchanged from the resized and compressed version that was originally created.
However, as mentioned earlier, as viewing contexts change, the limitations of Facebook’s image processing may become more visible. But the images themselves do not degrade further while stored on Facebook’s servers.
Does Facebook Alter RAW Files?
RAW photo files are unlikely to be supported or viewable on Facebook. If a RAW file is uploaded, Facebook will either:
- Ignore and not display the image
- Convert to JPEG and process as described above
Facebook has no need to retain the original RAW data or processing settings. The goal is to convert images to widely compatible formats for social media display. This means RAW files will be discarded or converted on upload.
Does Image Optimization Differ Across Facebook Services?
Facebook’s image processing and compression applies across its family of apps and services, including:
- Messenger
The specific maximum dimensions and compression techniques may differ slightly. But in general, the principles aim to balance visual quality with performance across each platform.
So images will go through similar optimization and quality loss whenever uploading to Facebook’s apps. The services are optimized for their primary device usage, such as mobile-first for Instagram.
Conclusion
To summarize, Facebook does substantially resize, reformat, and compress images to meet the technical demands of social media.
Some degree of quality loss through compression is inevitable. However, being mindful of Facebook’s requirements and preparing source files appropriately can maximize quality.
Understanding Facebook’s image optimization process allows you to plan your photo uploads accordingly. Focusing on high-quality sources, ideal file types, and optimal resolutions will ensure your images look their absolute best.