Canonical page: https://tinydeskgenerator.com/blog/why-your-tiny-desk-ai-photo-failed Page title: Tiny Desk AI Photo Failed? Upload & Retry Checklist Content updated: 2026-10-30 This is a text companion to the public page, not a separate product or generated video. Interactive forms, navigation and private account state are omitted. Tiny Desk AI field notes # Tiny Desk AI photo failed? Find the stage, then the fix Match the message to the upload, photo service, video task or completed file. By [Tiny Desk Generator](https://tinydeskgenerator.com/about) Published 30 October 2026 4 min read Before you start A Tiny Desk AI request can stop before video generation. Check the job’s stage first: an invalid file needs a file change; a busy service needs waiting; an uncertain submission needs a lookup. A different-looking face in a completed video belongs to a separate quality checklist. ![Illustrative adult portrait for the photo troubleshooting checklist](https://media.tinydeskgenerator.com/releases/v1/visual/solo-photo.webp) Check the step, then the input **A clear photo and an available service are separate checks.** Illustrative portrait, not evidence of a customer result or an individual’s consent. ## Find which step stopped your Tiny Desk AI request 01 · Before submission ### The photo will not open Follow the file-format, size or dimension message beside the upload. Re-export the original photo if it cannot be decoded. 02 · Photo preparation ### The photo service is busy A queue or 429 message is a temporary service condition. It does not establish that your face, file or number of portraits caused it. 03 · Video task ### The request is waiting or under review Keep the original task. Check its status instead of submitting a second generation. 04 · Completed file ### The face looks different This is an output issue, not a failed upload. Review the [face-consistency checklist](https://tinydeskgenerator.com/blog/tiny-desk-ai-face-consistency) before spending another credit. Start with the message and job status in [My videos](https://tinydeskgenerator.com/videos). “Photo rejected”, “service busy” and “under review” call for different actions. A completed file with an unexpected face is different again. Changing resolution or uploading the same file repeatedly does not diagnose which step stopped. ## Check the actual photo contract before changing the picture The website accepts JPG, PNG and WebP source images up to 20 MB. Each side must be between 300 and 6,000 pixels. The width-to-height ratio must be 0.4–2.5. The browser reads the file and checks dimensions; it prepares a smaller transport image before generation. A renamed .jpg filename cannot turn a HEIC file into a JPEG. If a phone photo is HEIC, export or convert it to an accepted format first. If the file is too small, use the original rather than a messaging thumbnail. If the crop is too narrow or wide, include more of the original frame. Enlarging a tiny crop may satisfy dimensions without restoring facial detail. The [visual photo guide](https://tinydeskgenerator.com/photo-guide) separates these input rules from recommendations about light and a visible face. APIMart documents the shared image asset rules and a separate image-upload endpoint. Its broader material-format list is not the website’s upload list. We use the stricter upload cap and the site-supported formats; reference-video total-pixel limits are not photo requirements. See [APIMart image material limits](https://docs.apimart.ai/en/api-reference/videos/seedance-2-5/generation#media-limits) and [image upload documentation](https://docs.apimart.ai/en/api-reference/uploads/images). ## A busy photo service is not evidence that your photo is invalid When the service explicitly asks us to wait, active photo preparation uses bounded backoff and keeps already accepted photo progress. Waiting does not guarantee success or a completion time. Keep the existing task while that status is active; repeatedly pressing Generate is not a faster retry mechanism. If preparation eventually fails definitively, the task shows a reason and its matching video credit returns. Review your setup, wait until the temporary condition has passed, and confirm another attempt yourself. A credit return is not a cash refund. Unknown errors are not automatically labelled as moderation, and a busy response does not prove how many people were using the service. ## Use the existing task when a submission is uncertain - **Return to My videos in the same browser.** Or recover access with your saved recovery code or linked Google account. - **Read the current status and credit balance.** An active or review task may still be associated with the original request. - **Use Find existing video when offered.** It looks up the request rather than paying for a second task. - **Send the job ID to support if needed.** Include the message and approximate time. Never send payment-card details, passwords or recovery codes. The local preview can confirm your selected portraits and camera plan without an account, upload or AI charge. It cannot check provider availability or predict final likeness. See the [full generation workflow](https://tinydeskgenerator.com/how-to) and [failed-task and refund policy](https://tinydeskgenerator.com/refunds). [Ask about an existing task](https://tinydeskgenerator.com/contact?topic=generation) before restarting a paid request you cannot account for. ## Questions before you continue ### Does a 429 message mean my portrait is too small? No. HTTP 429 means a service is limiting requests. It is not a pixel-size diagnosis. Keep an active task open in My videos and follow its waiting status. If the task has definitively failed and its credit has returned, you can review the setup and explicitly try again later. ### What photo sizes and formats does Tiny Desk Generator accept? Use a JPG, PNG or WebP source photo up to 20 MB. Each edge must be 300–6,000 pixels, with width divided by height between 0.4 and 2.5. Convert HEIC to an accepted format before uploading. The site checks readable image dimensions before submission. ### Should I submit again while a video is under review? No. An uncertain submission may already exist at the video provider. Check My videos or use Find existing video when offered. Do not start a second paid task to investigate the first. Contact support with the job ID if the status needs review. ## More Tiny Desk AI guides [**Check the photo requirements ↗**](https://tinydeskgenerator.com/photo-guide)[**Check a completed video’s face ↗**](https://tinydeskgenerator.com/blog/tiny-desk-ai-face-consistency)[**Check photo permissions ↗**](https://tinydeskgenerator.com/blog/tiny-desk-ai-photo-copyright-consent) Checked against this site’s current input validation, task states and published policies on 30 October 2026. This guide is not an output-quality benchmark.