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Make Smaller guide

Make a smaller file copy on Windows

Use the Make Smaller right-click menu to create a separate copy, find it, and check its size before sharing.

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Short answer

Right-click a supported file in File Explorer, choose Make Smaller, then Preserve quality. The app checks the result and saves a smaller copy when it can. Your original stays in place and the file format stays the same. If there is no useful reduction, read the explanation.

This guide covers Make Smaller. Check requirements and download options before you begin.

Before you start

  • Make Smaller with an active Microsoft Store license on Windows 11 24H2 or later, x64.
  • A supported sample file available locally, a writable output location, and enough free space on both the system and destination drives for processing and the separate copy.

Start here

  1. Choose one file

    Start with one photo, document or recording. Finish editing it and close apps that are writing to it. Right-click it, choose Properties and note Size if you need to meet an upload limit.

  2. Choose Preserve quality

    Right-click the file again, open Make Smaller and choose Preserve quality. Selecting the profile starts the work. There is no box for entering a target size in MB.

  3. Wait for the result

    Let Making smaller and Checking result finish. If Choose an output folder appears, pick a local folder you can save to. No improvement means no smaller copy was saved.

  4. Find the copy

    Choose Show in folder for a successful result. Individual files normally add - smaller to the name; Balanced and Smallest size add - smaller - balanced or - smaller - smallest. A number avoids an existing filename.

  5. Open and measure it

    Open the copy in its usual app. Check the content, then right-click the copy in File Explorer and choose Properties. Compare Size, not Size on disk, with the upload limit. Share the file you just checked.

Check your result

  • The original still exists and opens normally.
  • The reported output is smaller, has the expected format and opens correctly.
  • The selected output meets the receiving service's limit; no exact final size was assumed.

No new file can be a normal result

Some files are already small for their content. Read No improvement or the other result before trying another profile; a familiar extension does not mean every file can be reduced.

Your original and the new copy both take up space. The smaller-copy saving compares their sizes; it does not mean that space has been freed on your PC.

Hide or stop the operation

During processing, Hide puts the panel away while work continues. Use its system-tray icon to return. Stop requests cancellation of the current selection; copies that already finished remain available and other waiting selections can continue.

If the Explorer action is missing, check that the Store installation has completed and reopen File Explorer. If the app reports a license problem, follow Check license or Open Microsoft Store before selecting your files again.

The app used in this guide

Make Smaller

View app details

Related guides

Sources and further reading