How to use PicShifter
A practical guide to the free tools on this site: the image converter, documents to PDF, photo to scan and background removal. Both run inside your browser, so your files stay on your device.
1. Converting images
- Open the image converter.
- Tap the dashed box and pick one or more images, or drag them onto it on a computer.
- Choose the format you want under Convert to. For JPG, WebP and PDF you can also set the quality.
- Press Convert. Each file shows its old and new size.
- Press Save next to a file, or Save all to download everything.
You can mix file types in one batch. For example, you can turn a HEIC photo, a PNG screenshot and a PSD file into JPG at the same time.
Choosing PDF lets you combine all selected images into one PDF, which is handy for sending scanned receipts or a set of photos as a single file.
2. Which image format should I choose?
| Format | Best for | Keeps transparency |
|---|---|---|
| JPG | Photos you want to share or upload. Small files, opens everywhere. | No (becomes white) |
| PNG | Screenshots, logos, images with text or sharp edges. No quality loss. | Yes |
| WebP | Images for websites. Usually smaller than JPG at the same quality. | Yes |
| Sending several images as one document, printing. | No | |
| GIF | Simple graphics. Limited to 256 colors, so photos look rough. | Yes (on/off only) |
| ICO | Website icons (favicons) and Windows icons. | Yes |
| TIFF, PSD, TGA, DDS | Handing files to print shops, Photoshop or game tools. | Yes |
A simple rule: photos go to JPG, anything with text or a transparent background goes to PNG, and images for your own website go to WebP.
Making files smaller
Lowering the quality slider to 70–80% usually cuts a JPG or WebP file size a lot while the picture still looks the same on a phone screen. PNG does not use the slider because it never throws away detail.
3. iPhone photos (HEIC) to JPG
iPhones save photos as HEIC by default. HEIC files are small, but many Windows programs, websites and older devices can’t open them.
- Pick your HEIC photos in the image converter.
- Choose JPG and press Convert.
- Save the JPG files. They open on any device.
If you want your iPhone to take JPG photos from now on, go to Settings → Camera → Formats and choose Most Compatible.
4. Converting documents to PDF
- Open Documents to PDF.
- Pick Word (DOCX), Excel (XLSX, XLS, CSV), PowerPoint (PPTX) or Hangul (HWP) files.
- Press Convert to PDF and wait for the progress bar.
- Press Save to download each PDF.
What happens to each file type
- Word: each page becomes a PDF page. Long sections without page breaks are split to the page size.
- Excel: every sheet is printed as a table with its name on top. Wide sheets switch to landscape pages.
- PowerPoint: each slide becomes one landscape page.
- Hangul (HWP): pages keep the paper size set in the document, usually A4.
Limits to know: the PDF is made of page images, so text can’t be selected or searched. Layout may differ slightly from the original, and fonts you don’t have are replaced. Old DOC and PPT files and HWPX files need to be saved as DOCX, PPTX or HWP first.
5. Turning a photo of paper into a scan
Need to send a signed form, a receipt or handwritten notes, but don’t have a scanner? Take a photo with your phone and let Photo to scan clean it up.
- Lay the paper flat on a darker, plain surface and take a photo from above.
- Open Photo to scan and add the photos. Each photo becomes one page.
- The tool finds the edges of the paper and straightens it. If the frame is off, tap Adjust corners and drag the four dots onto the paper’s corners.
- Pick a look: Black & white for text, Grayscale for pencil notes, Color for receipts, stamps and photos, or Original to only straighten.
- Use Rotate and the arrows to fix page direction and order.
- Choose PDF to get one file with every page (A4, Letter or fitted to the photo), or JPG/PNG for separate images, then press Save.
How the cleanup works
The tool estimates how bright the paper is under the text across the whole page, then evens it out. That removes the grey shadow from your hand or phone and turns the yellowish paper colour white, while keeping the ink dark.
Getting the best result
- Light the page evenly. A window during the day works better than a single ceiling lamp.
- Fill most of the photo with the paper, but keep all four corners visible.
- Hold the phone steady. Blur can’t be fixed afterwards.
6. Removing a photo background
Remove background cuts the main subject out of a photo, such as a person, a pet or a product, and gives you a PNG with a transparent background. It’s useful for profile pictures, online shop listings, stickers and slides.
- Open Remove background and add one or more photos.
- Pick High quality for cleaner edges or Fast on slow connections. High quality downloads a 44 MB AI model the first time; your browser keeps it for next time.
- Wait for each photo to finish. Tap Original to compare before and after.
- Choose a background: Transparent saves a PNG, while White or Color save a JPG with that background filled in.
- Press Save, or Save all for several photos.
Photos that work best
- One clear subject that stands out from a simple background.
- Good light and a sharp focus on the subject.
- The subject not cut off by the photo’s edges more than necessary.
Crowded street scenes, fine flyaway hair and glass or other see-through objects are hard for any automatic tool. If the result isn’t clean, try a photo with a plainer background.
7. When something goes wrong
- “This file can’t be opened as an image”: the file may be damaged, or its name ends in the wrong extension. Try opening it in another app first.
- The Save button does nothing: some in-app browsers (inside messengers or social apps) block downloads. Open the site in Safari or Chrome.
- A document stops with an error: password-protected files can’t be read. Remove the password and try again.
- Conversion is slow: very large documents and photos take longer on phones. Convert fewer files at once.
8. Frequently asked questions
Are my files uploaded anywhere?
No. The page loads the conversion tools into your browser and converts files there. Nothing is sent to a server, which is also why it keeps working for files you’d rather not share.
Is it free?
Yes. There’s no sign-up and no file limit. The site may show ads to cover its costs.
Does it work on phones?
Yes, on recent versions of Safari, Chrome, Edge and Samsung Internet.
Open the image converter Convert documents to PDF Make a scan from a photo Remove a background