Crop an image by dragging
Drop a photo, drag the crop box to the part you want and resize it from the corner. Lock the ratio for profile pictures (1:1), Instagram (4:5), video (16:9) or stories (9:16). The pixel size of the crop is shown live. Cropping happens on your device.
How to use the Crop Image
- Drop or paste a photo; a preview appears with a crop box.
- Choose a fixed ratio if you need one, then drag the box to move it and drag the corner handle to resize.
- Watch the live pixel size under the preview.
- Click Crop image and download the result.
Cropping vs resizing
Cropping removes pixels from the edges of an image without changing the scale of what remains; resizing changes the scale of the whole image. Use crop to fix composition (remove a distracting edge, centre a face, straighten a framing), to change the aspect ratio without stretching, or to isolate a detail. Use the resizer afterwards if the crop needs to be a particular pixel size; use the platform presets if you only need a social-media size, since they crop and resize in one step.
Ratio locks
With a ratio selected, the box keeps that proportion as you resize from the corner, so the result fits the target without letterboxing. 1:1 is right for profile pictures and product tiles; 4:5 for Instagram portrait posts; 16:9 for YouTube thumbnails and slides; 9:16 for Stories, Reels and TikTok; 3:2 matches most camera sensors; 2:3 is Pinterest's preferred pin ratio.
Quality and formats
The crop is cut from the original pixels at full resolution, whatever the size of the on-screen preview, so a 4000 px photo yields a full-resolution crop. JPG output is saved at quality 92; PNG is lossless and keeps transparency; WebP is smallest. HEIC photos from iPhones are decoded on your device first.
Tips
- For headshots, place eyes about one-third from the top of the box.
- Leave breathing room around the subject when the platform applies a circular mask (profile pictures).
- Crop before compressing: fewer pixels means a smaller file at the same quality.
Frequently asked questions
Can I crop to an exact pixel size?
The live readout shows the crop in pixels. For an exact size, crop with the right ratio and then use the resizer, or use a platform preset which does both.
Does cropping reduce quality?
No. Pixels inside the box are copied unchanged from the original; only the JPG re-encode at quality 92 applies if you output JPG.
Does it work on a phone?
Yes. The crop box responds to touch: drag to move, drag the corner dot to resize.
Is my photo uploaded?
No. The preview and the crop are computed in your browser.
Privacy
This tool runs entirely inside your browser using WebAssembly and the Canvas/File APIs. Your files are never uploaded to ToolFlint or any third party; you can verify this in your browser's network tab or by switching to airplane mode after the page loads. Read how we process files.
Last updated 2026-09-23.