Why your photo upload is rejected, and how to fix it
Form errors are often vague: "invalid file" or "upload failed". These are the usual causes, roughly in order of how often they happen.
The file is too large
A photo straight from a phone is several thousand KB; a form may allow 50. Resize it to the stated pixel size and KB range.
The file is too small
Many forms have a minimum as well as a maximum. A small signature often compresses to 4 or 5 KB when the form wants at least 10. Use a tool that respects the minimum, not only the maximum.
Wrong format
Most forms accept only JPG. Screenshots are PNG, iPhone photos are HEIC and pictures saved from websites are often WebP. Renaming the file does not convert it; the form checks what is inside. Convert it properly to JPG.
Wrong shape
If the form wants 200 × 230 pixels and you upload a square, it may be refused or stretched. Crop to the exact width and height.
The picture itself fails the rules
- Face too small, turned or partly covered.
- Dark, patterned or cluttered background.
- Sunglasses, cap or heavy shadow.
- An old photo that no longer looks like you.
- A signature that is faint, cut off or in capital letters.
The file was damaged on the way
Chat apps recompress pictures and can change their size. Move the file by cable, email or cloud storage, or do the resizing on the same device you will upload from.
Still failing?
Read the exact figures in the current notification, because requirements change between years. Then try a different browser, since some form sites misbehave in certain browsers.