iPhone photo won't upload? It's probably HEIC
HEIC photos from iPhone often fail Indian government portals. Convert to JPG and change camera settings to stop it recurring.
Start here: which of these is happening to you?
| Symptom | Likely cause | Jump to |
|---|---|---|
| Told to retake at counter | Background or face size | Cause 1 |
| Upload fails silently | Format or KB range | Cause 2 |
| Looks fine but rejected | Spec mismatch | Cause 3 |
Cause 1: Background or face size
Indian portals enforce a white background and minimum face height. A grey wall or small face in frame fails automated checks. See HEIC photo not accepted — how to convert an iPhone photo to JPG for the exact spec.
Cause 2: File format or size
Portals want JPG within a KB range — not PNG or HEIC. Check Indian passport photo size — 35×45 mm (2026 rules) for upload troubleshooting.
Cause 3: Spec mismatch
Old studio sizes and outdated prints cause counter rejection. Cross-check the official notification.
Fix it now
This applies across documents and exams — pick yours and we will set the exact size automatically.
Choose your document or examIf none of these worked
Retake in daylight against a plain wall. Try a desktop browser for exam uploads.
Related problems
Document photo rules look similar across portals but differ in pixels, KB, and background. Always read the current notification instead of copying last year's file. When a form rejects an upload, note the exact error text — "invalid dimensions" and "file too large" need different fixes. PhotoFix presets encode the published spec so you do not have to memorize each exam.
Before final submit, compare your export against the checklist: correct JPG, dimensions within range, KB inside the window, plain background, and face proportion where applicable. Keeping the original photo lets you re-export if a portal updates limits mid-cycle.
See also
Related guides
More PhotoFix articles on the same problem or document type.
- TroubleshootingWhy your white background isn't white (and what to do)Background not white enough for passport or OCI? Shadows, grey walls, and halo edges from cheap removal — and how to fix each.
- TroubleshootingPhoto went blurry after resizing: the cause is the order of operationsBlurry after resize? You likely compressed before cropping. Crop, then resize to exact pixels, then compress to KB — in that order.
- TroubleshootingYour photo is too small in KB — the minimum nobody readsOver-compressed photos below the portal minimum KB fail just like oversized files. Here is why and how to fix it.