Mobile browser camera post-capture compression degrades Bonafide Certificate text to unreadable blur

[krishivjoshi219-collab]

🏷️ Discussion Type

Question

💬 Feature/Topic Area

Verification Help & Guidance

Hi everyone,

Hi GitHub Community Team,

I am applying for the GitHub Student Developer Pack as a student at Bright Day School, Vadodara. My school does not issue student .edu or school email addresses, so I am required to verify my academic status using a live document capture.

The Issue:

1. When taking a live capture of my official Bonafide Certificate (2026–2027) using my mobile phone browser camera, the camera preview looks clear, but immediately after pressing "Capture Photo", GitHub's post-processing/compression degrades the image resolution to an unreadable, pixelated state.
2. Because of this extreme browser compression bug, the automated OCR system consistently rejects the capture, stating it cannot verify my name, current enrollment date, or school.
3. My account profile name, billing location, and document details all match , and the certificate clearly states the current 2026–2027 session with an official stamp.

Since direct manual review tickets are redirected here, could a GitHub Education moderator please advise on how to resolve this camera compression issue or assist in getting my document processed?

Thank you!

[KlGamers]

Hey, what you're describing is a pretty common issue with live capture on mobile browsers, and it's usually not that your document is bad, it's the compression the browser applies before uploading the image. A few things that tend to help: first, try a native app instead of the browser (the GitHub Mobile app or the verification flow through the app, if available), since the aggressive compression bug shows up far more often in mobile Chrome/Safari than in native apps. Second, if you have to use the browser, shoot in good natural light and avoid digital zoom, since compression tends to hit harder when there's low contrast between the text and the document background. Third, if the OCR keeps rejecting it after a couple of tries, don't keep retrying captures that can flag your account for extra review. Instead, upload the document as a file (a PDF or an image already saved on your phone, not captured live) if that option exists in your verification flow, since it skips that same aggressive compression. And if none of that works, since your name, location, and the certificate details already match, the fastest path is to open a direct ticket with GitHub Education Support (education@github.com) attaching the original document in good quality, specifically noting it's a live-capture compression issue and not a document validity issue that gets it routed to manual review faster.

[krishivjoshi219-collab]

Thanks, I will try it!

[krishivjoshi219-collab]

Hi @KIGamers,

Thanks a lot for taking the time to share these suggestions!

Unfortunately, a few of these routes aren't available for my current application flow:

1. No File Upload Option: The option to upload pre-saved image files or PDFs has been removed for my account's application form—it strictly forces a live WebRTC camera capture.
2. Mobile App Redirection: The GitHub Mobile app redirects directly back to the standard mobile browser webview, where the same live capture compression issue occurs.
3. Support Email Limitations: Direct email support via education@github.com now sends an automated response directing users back to the community discussions, so manual ticket creation isn't accessible.

I'll definitely give the tip about direct natural lighting and zero digital zoom another try on my next attempt. Appreciate your help and input!