WhatsApp used to reduce the quality of photos to save storage space. But now, things are changing.
Meta, the company that owns WhatsApp, introduced a new “HD Quality” option for photos. Now, WhatsApp users can pick between “Standard” quality and this new HD quality. HD photos show more detail, but they also take up more space.
In a Facebook video, CEO Mark Zuckerberg demonstrated this. He showed that a photo with a quality of 1365×2048 pixels can now be 2000 x 3000 pixels in HD. This means the photo quality goes from almost 3 megapixels to 6 megapixels. But, the exact size can change based on the photo’s shape.
However, there’s some bad news. WhatsApp doesn’t let users send photos in their original quality yet. Maybe they will add this feature later.
Also, it’s good to remember that WhatsApp compresses all photos on your phone first, whether they’re standard or HD. After compressing, it sends them to the person you’re chatting with, keeping the conversation private with end-to-end encryption.
How to send photos in HD on Whatsapp
WhatsApp started testing out this new feature in June. They will give this feature to all Android, iOS, and web users in the next few weeks. Some users already have it. We can also use this new feature on our Android phone now.
Want to send an HD photo on WhatsApp? Here’s how:
- Open the chat where you want to send the photo.
- Click on the camera symbol in the chat box.
- Choose the photo you want to send.
- Tap the “HD” icon at the top.
- WhatsApp will ask you about the quality you want for the photo.
Mark Zuckerberg also shows how to do this in a video.
All HD images show a small “HD” icon in the top right corner. This lets the person getting the photo know it’s high quality. If you have a slow connection or not much storage, you can choose to save the photo in default quality. Also, Meta said they will soon have an HD video feature, which is good news.
