A 2MB target is a looser but still worthwhile cap for documents shared over WhatsApp or submitted to HR and government portals that commonly allow 2-5MB. At this size, image-heavy multi-page scans compress comfortably at Recommended, and even large scans usually fit at Extreme.
Compress a PDF nowTwo megabytes leaves enough room that compression is less about squeezing under a hard wall and more about making a file quicker to send and open — a scanned packet of several documents, a multi-page contract, or a slide export with screenshots will often already be close to or under 2MB, and compression mainly helps when the original has many high-resolution images. For messaging apps in particular, a smaller file also means less waiting on a mobile connection at both ends.
If your document is already well under 2MB, compression is optional — it will still help it send and open faster, especially over a mobile connection.
Add the file in your browser; the tool works entirely on-device, so there is no wait for a server upload before compression starts.
Recommended usually brings an image-heavy multi-page scan comfortably under 2MB while keeping images legible.
If your file is still over 2MB after Recommended, switch to Extreme for a stronger reduction before sharing it or uploading it to the portal.
Usually yes — at the Recommended preset, a multi-page scan with several images typically compresses well under 2MB, and Extreme handles larger or higher-resolution scans that do not clear it on the first pass.
A smaller file still sends and opens faster, especially on a slow mobile connection, and platforms like WhatsApp Web need an active phone connection to transfer larger files, so a smaller PDF is less likely to stall mid-transfer.
Many do, since 2-5MB is a common range for those systems, but limits vary by organization — check the specific portal’s stated cap rather than assuming 2MB is universal.