It is worth noting that the HD images and videos being shared are still being compressed to some degree, as the filesizes are smaller than the original. — WhatsApp
WhatsApp is now rolling out the ability for users to share images and videos in high definition (HD) in chats with other users and groups.
In an announcement on Facebook, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg wrote “Sharing photos on WhatsApp just got an upgrade – now you can send in HD.”
The process of sending photos and videos in HD is largely the same as sending them normally. Simply tap on the camera icon on the right side of the chatbox in a conversation, then either take a new photo or video, or select an existing one from the camera roll.
Once selected, there will be a button at the top of the screen with text saying "HD", tap on it and choose the resolution that the image or video should be shared at. After that, just hit the send button and it will be sent in HD.
Media shared to chats in this way will also have a marker saying "HD" at the bottom left to denote its higher quality.
In a press release issued today (Aug 18), the company said that HD photo sharing would be rolling out worldwide over the next few weeks.
"To ensure sharing photos over WhatsApp remains fast and reliable, Standard Quality will continue to be the default option photos are sent in.
"If you receive a photo when you have low bandwidth connectivity, you can choose on a photo by photo basis whether to keep the standard version or upgrade it to HD.
"HD Photos is rolling out globally over the next few weeks, with HD Videos also coming soon," the company said in its release.
It is worth noting that the HD images and videos being shared are still being compressed to some degree, as the filesizes are smaller than the original.
Those looking to send original files without any sort of compression should instead share them as a document, which will be sent without any changes. Media shared this way can be up to 2GB in size.
