How to Resize Images on Your Android Phone Using the Native Gallery App

If you've ever tried uploading a photo from your phone to your blog or website only to find the file is too big, you're not alone. Turns out, the Android Gallery app -- the one that came with my phone -- can do it in seconds. No downloads. No extra steps.

For the longest time, I thought I needed a computer or a third-party app to shrink my images.

As a blogger, I often capture something on the road and want to post it immediately. In the past, large file sizes forced me to wait until I got home to resize them on my desktop.

That's no longer the case.

Here's how to resize an image directly from your Android phone:

1. Open the Gallery app and select the photo you want to resize.

2. Tap the edit icon (the little pencil at the bottom).

3. Tap the three dots in the bottom-right corner.

4. Select Resize.

5. Choose a reduction (80%, 60%, 40%, 20%) -- the app will even show you the resulting pixel dimensions.

6. Save as a copy so you keep the original.

That's it.

Now you've got a smaller, web-friendly image ready to upload straight from your phone.

If you're curious about why resizing matters -- and what things like PPI and DPI have to do with it -- check out my follow-up article: "Why Image Size and Resolution Matter for the Web vs. Print."

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