How to Crop an Image — Free on Mac, iPhone, Android & Browser
How to crop an image is one of the most common image tasks — and every device has a built-in method that is completely free. This guide covers all four platforms plus a browser tool with ratio presets, with no Photoshop required.
Quick answer: To crop an image in any browser, go to rapidtools.online/crop-image, upload your image, set the aspect ratio or drag the crop handles, and click Download. On iPhone: Photos → Edit → Crop icon. On Android: Google Photos → Edit → Crop. On Mac: Preview → drag selection → Tools → Crop.
Drag to crop, or pick a ratio preset — useful for Instagram (1:1 and 4:5), passport photos, and profile images. The selection size is shown in pixels as you drag. Works on Mac, Windows, Chromebook, iPhone, and Android without installing anything.
1
Go to rapidtools.online/crop-image
Open in any browser — no account or sign-up needed.
2
Upload your image
Drag and drop your JPEG, PNG, or WebP onto the upload area, or click to select. Your file is processed locally — it never leaves your device.
3
Set your aspect ratio or drag freely
Choose a preset (1:1 for Instagram square, 16:9 for YouTube/landscape, 4:5 for Instagram portrait) or drag the crop handles in free-form mode. The selection size is shown in pixels as you drag.
4
Download
Click Apply Crop and then Download Cropped Image. The cropped file saves to your Downloads folder. A PNG stays a PNG; a JPEG is saved again at the quality you set (90% unless you change it).
ℹ️ Need a specific pixel size — for example, 600×600 for a passport photo or 1080×1080 for an Instagram post? The crop tool has no box to type an exact size, so crop to the right ratio first, then set the exact width and height with Resize Image. Built-in device apps crop to a ratio but do not control exact output dimensions either.
2
iPhone Photos App — Built-In, No Download
The Photos app on iOS has a full crop tool with aspect ratio presets. No third-party app needed — this works on any iPhone running iOS 13 or later.
1
Open the photo in Photos
Tap the photo you want to crop.
2
Tap Edit (top right)
This opens the editing tools.
3
Tap the crop icon
It looks like overlapping rectangles — bottom center of the toolbar.
4
Choose an aspect ratio (optional)
Tap the aspect ratio icon (rectangle with arrows) to select Square (1:1), 4:3, 16:9, and more. Or drag the handles freely for a custom crop.
5
Drag to adjust, then tap Done
The original is preserved non-destructively — tap Edit → Revert to Original at any time to undo.
💡 Need exact pixel dimensions? iPhone Photos does not let you specify output pixels — it just crops the ratio and keeps maximum resolution. For passport photos or platform-specific sizes, crop to the right ratio, then set the exact size with Resize Image.
3
Android Google Photos — Free, Pre-Installed
Google Photos is pre-installed on most Android phones and has a solid crop tool with aspect ratio presets. Samsung Gallery works too and has similar steps.
1
Open the photo in Google Photos
Tap the photo you want to crop.
2
Tap Edit (the slider icon)
Located at the bottom of the screen.
3
Tap Crop
The crop grid appears with handles you can drag.
4
Select an aspect ratio or drag freely
Tap the aspect ratio icon to choose 1:1 (square), 4:3, 16:9, or others. Or drag the corner handles for a free crop.
5
Tap Save copy
"Save copy" creates a new cropped version and keeps your original. "Save" overwrites — choose accordingly.
4
Mac Preview — Built Into Every Mac
Preview is installed on every Mac and handles crop perfectly — no download required. The key step people miss: you must select the area before going to Tools → Crop.
1
Open the image in Preview
Double-click the image file, or right-click → Open With → Preview.
2
Click and drag to select the crop area
Hold Shift while dragging to constrain to a square (1:1). The selected area shows as a highlighted rectangle.
3
Go to Tools → Crop
Or press Cmd + K. Everything outside your selection is removed.
4
Save
Press Cmd + S to save. Use File → Export if you want to save a copy and keep the original.
💡 Mac Photos app alternative: Open the image in Photos → double-click to enter Edit view → click the Crop tool in the toolbar → drag handles or choose a ratio → Done.
5
Windows Photos App
Windows 10 and 11 include the Photos app which has a crop tool built in.
1
Open the image in Photos
Double-click the image — it opens in Photos by default on Windows 10/11.
2
Click the Edit & Create button (pencil icon)
Select "Edit" from the dropdown.
3
Click Crop & rotate in the right panel
The crop grid appears. Drag the handles to adjust. Use the Aspect ratio dropdown for fixed ratios.
4
Click Save a copy
Saves the cropped version while keeping the original.
💡 Paint alternative: Open in Paint → Select tool → drag your selection → Image → Crop. Very basic but works for quick square crops.
Common Crop Sizes
Use
Size
Ratio
Notes
Instagram square post
1080 × 1080 px
1:1
Use the Square (1:1) preset
Instagram portrait post
1080 × 1350 px
4:5
Takes up more space in the feed
Profile photo
400 × 400 px
1:1
A safe size for most platforms; many show it as a circle
✓ 1:1, 4:3, 16:9 presets✓ 9 ratio presets✓ File never uploaded✓ No watermark
Frequently Asked Questions
On any device, open rapidtools.online/crop-image in a browser, upload the picture, drag the crop handles or pick an aspect ratio, and click Download — no app, no account, no watermark, and the image is never uploaded to a server. Every phone and computer also has a built-in cropper: iPhone Photos → Edit → Crop, Android Google Photos → Edit → Crop, Mac Preview → drag a selection → Tools → Crop, and Windows Photos → Edit image → Crop.
Cropping only removes pixels outside your selection, so the pixels you keep stay the same size. When a JPEG is saved again it is re-compressed, so RapidTools lets you set the quality (90% by default; choose 100% to keep the most detail). PNG files are saved without any loss.
Crop first with rapidtools.online/crop-image, then set the exact width and height in pixels with rapidtools.online/resize-image. Built-in device apps (iPhone Photos, Google Photos, Windows Photos) crop to a ratio but do not control the exact output pixel count.
For a square post: 1080×1080 px (1:1). For a portrait post: 1080×1350 px (4:5) — this takes up more feed space. For a landscape post: 1080×566 px (1.91:1). For Stories or Reels: 1080×1920 px (9:16).
Most standard crop tools only create rectangular crops. To get a circular crop, you need a tool that exports with a transparent background (PNG). Crop to a square first using any method above, then use an online tool that converts to a circle with transparency. Platform profile photos (Facebook, Twitter) appear circular but are stored as squares — the circle is applied by the platform.
Yes. rapidtools.online/crop-image saves a PNG as a PNG, so the transparent areas in the cropped region stay transparent. Upload your PNG, crop the area you want, and download. Other formats, such as WebP, are saved as JPEG, which does not support transparency.
Rapid