WhatsApp is introducing a new feature that will enable users to send and receive high-quality “HD” images. The announcement was made by Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg through his Meta broadcast channel on Instagram, stating, “Sharing photos on WhatsApp just got an upgrade. Now you can send in HD.”
This enhancement is set to be rolled out globally in the coming weeks. Users on Android, iOS, or the web will be able to send higher-resolution images, although they might still be a bit compressed compared to their original format. Those receiving these high-definition images will see a small icon indicating its HD status. Meta has also hinted at a subsequent feature supporting HD videos.
Once this feature becomes available, users will notice an “HD” gear icon when attaching an image in a chat. This was first spotted in beta versions by WABetaInfo. As per the screenshots from the publication, the feature was initially available to beta testers on version 23.11.0.76 for iOS and version 2.23.12.13 for Android.
Upon tapping the HD icon, a “photo quality” menu pops up, offering two resolutions: standard quality (1600 x 1052) and HD quality (4096 x 2692). However, Meta has not disclosed specifics about the compression rate of these images or how they would compare with images sent via other platforms like Apple’s iMessage. It’s noteworthy that these HD images will be protected by WhatsApp’s standard end-to-end encryption.
For users with slower internet connections, there’s the flexibility to choose between the standard or HD quality. Moreover, the standard quality will remain as the default option for senders, mitigating concerns about quickly filling up phone storage due to a barrage of high-resolution images in group chats.