WhatsApp Now Lets Users Send HD Photos

WhatsApp finally allows users to upload HD pictures.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg recently confirmed that WhatsApp users can now upload pictures to share them with other people and in group chats without worrying about their quality once they're sent.

WhatsApp is also planning on adding a feature that lets people upload videos in HD, though the company has yet to release it.

No More Compression

Zuckerberg mentioned in his announcement on Facebook that WhatsApp users can now upload photos in HD. The Meta CEO also included a video detailing how WhatsApp users can send photos over to people through the app in HD.

WhatsApp users familiar with the process of sending photos shouldn't get lost in the process. According to the video, a user should tap on the camera button on their phone and select a photo they wish to send from the gallery.

Things take a different turn from here, however. WhatsApp users wishing to send an HD photo must tap on the new HD button located at the top of the next screen to switch from standard quality to HD.

Once users switch the quality from SD to HD, they can now send the picture to the recipient. Since the photo is now in HD, they will need some time to receive it, depending on how fast their internet connection is.

Unfortunately, not all photos can be sent to others in HD. A report from Mashable explained that the photo a user wishes to send must already be in HD quality before the option can appear.

This distinction is due to WhatsApp's compression, which degrades photos and videos somewhat to make the upload and download process faster for the medium's owner and recipient. If the media compressor isn't needed to send a photo to the recipient, then it won't activate.

The same principle is also present in a feature WhatsApp is developing - it allows users to send HD videos instead of photos. According to WABetaInfo, WhatsApp users must upload high-quality videos from the get-go to get the HD-quality option to appear; not doing so might not make the options show up as intended.

Since WhatsApp already released the ability to send photos in HD, probably, the ability to send videos in HD to people won't be far away.

Other Upcoming WhatsApp Features

Aside from the ability to send photos in HD, WhatsApp is also working on other features that will improve user experience. You may recall that the company has recently let its beta testers try out its new AI-generated stickers.

The company is also developing a passkey login/sign-in method to WhatsApp, giving users a more secure method to log into their accounts.

The company is also working on a new feature that allows voice chat communication between groups, allowing up to 32 participants from separate groups to talk to each other through the app. The company also released a redesigned sticker and GIF picker for iOS devices - a feature it previously worked on that got a public release in early July.