My photo won't upload

Fix failed photo uploads in SimplyScapes with supported formats for each upload spot, file size limits, HEIC tips, and simple retry steps to get your design started.

Uploading a photo of your space is the most popular way to start a design, and it's how you replace a background or add images to your library. If an upload fails or the image looks off, it's almost always the file itself. Here's how to sort it out.

Use a supported format

Supported formats depend on where you're uploading:

Starting a new design — JPEG (.jpg), PNG (.png), WEBP (.webp), and HEIC (.heic, the iPhone default) all work, up to 25 MB. Photos straight from an iPhone upload as-is.
Adding to your image library or replacing a background — JPEG, PNG, and WEBP only. HEIC isn't accepted in these spots yet, so convert those photos to JPEG first.
Everywhere — other file types (PDF, TIFF, or a RAW camera file) won't upload. Convert them to JPEG or PNG, then try again.

Need to convert a HEIC photo? On a Mac, select it in the Photos app and choose File > Export > Export Photos with JPEG as the format. On an iPhone, you can make future photos save in the more compatible JPEG format in Settings > Camera > Formats > Most Compatible, or take a screenshot of the photo (screenshots save as PNG) and upload that.

Photos on a Mac? Pictures synced from an iPhone live in the Photos app, not in your folders — see How do I upload photos from my Mac's Photos app? for the quickest ways to get them in.

Check the file size

Very large files take longer to upload and can time out on a slow connection. Photos straight from a modern phone or camera are fine — new-design uploads accept files up to 25 MB, far larger than a typical phone photo. If a file is unusually large (over about 10 MB), it may just need more time, so give it a moment before retrying.

Give the photo enough detail

A photo that's too small won't give you enough to design with, and the result can look blurry or pixelated once it fills the canvas. Very small images (roughly under 200 KB, like a thumbnail saved from a text message or a tiny web image) often don't have enough detail.

For a crisp design, upload the original, full-size photo rather than a screenshot of it or a version that's been shrunk to send in a message. Bigger and sharper is better here.

Retry the upload

If an upload stalls or fails, these steps clear up most cases:

Wait a few seconds and try the same photo again. A brief network hiccup is the most common cause.
Check your internet connection. A slow or dropping connection can interrupt an upload partway through.
Refresh the page and try once more. This resets anything that got stuck.
Try a different photo to see if the issue is with one specific file. If other photos upload fine, the original file is the problem, so convert it to JPEG or PNG or use a larger version.
Try a different browser (Chrome or Edge work best) if uploads keep failing everywhere.

Tips for a great background photo

The photo you upload sets up your whole design, so a good one goes a long way. For lighting, angle, and framing tips, see What makes a good background image?

Still stuck?

Contact us at support@simplyscapes.com. Let us know the file type and roughly how big the photo is (for example, "a JPEG from my iPhone"), and what you see when the upload fails. That helps us pinpoint it quickly.