My photo won't upload

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

SimplyScapes accepts these image types:

• JPEG (.jpg or .jpeg)
• PNG (.png)
• WEBP (.webp)

Most photos from a phone or camera are already JPEG, so they work as-is. Other file types (like HEIC from some iPhones, PDF, TIFF, or a RAW camera file) won't upload. If your photo is in one of those, convert it to JPEG or PNG first, then try again.

On an iPhone: if your photos save as HEIC, you can switch to the more compatible format in Settings > Camera > Formats > Most Compatible, or take a screenshot of the photo (screenshots save as PNG) and upload that.

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. 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:

1. Wait a few seconds and try the same photo again. A brief network hiccup is the most common cause.
2. Check your internet connection. A slow or dropping connection can interrupt an upload partway through.
3. Refresh the page and try once more. This resets anything that got stuck.
4. 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.
5. 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.