WhatsApp HD photo sharing: How to send pictures without destroying details

WhatsApp has had the ability to share media files, including images and photographs for years. However, the instant communication platform was notorious for running photos by a compression algorithm first, allowing for smaller sizes and hence, quicker sending. This also meant high quality photos losing a lot of their resolution and details in the process.

Thankfully, WhatsApp is finally fixing this. Starting with the newest update, WhatsApp users will be able to send HD pictures. This allows smartphone photos to be sent in a higher quality (4096 x 2692 pixels) compared to standard quality (1600 x 1052 pixels).

While the new HD sharing option allows users to send photos with more details, it is important to understand that you’ll still not be sending photos at full resolution, especially if your phone has a higher-megapixel camera. For that, you will still have to send images as documents as a workaround. That said, the new feature is ideal for when you want to send photos that the receiver may want to zoom into, share on social media in good quality, or even set as a profile picture or a wallpaper.

How to send HD photos in WhatsApp

To begin sending higher quality photos, users must first update to the latest version of WhatsApp, one where the changelog on the App Store or Play Store mentions the addition of the feature.

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Once updated, users can head to WhatsApp and open a chat. Choose the photos/images to share and you should see an icon with the letters ‘HD’ on the top on the review screen that pops up before you send the images. Tap on the icon before sending, and your photos should be sent in higher quality. Make sure the photos you want to share are at least 4096 x 2692 pixels in resolution, or else you will not be able to select the HD option.

When will I get WhatsApp's HD photo sharing feature?

WhatsApp has been testing the feature on its beta channel for a while now, so beta users will already have the option to send HD photos. For stable users, the feature is expected to be added in an upcoming update that most users will receive over the next week, if they haven’t already.

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WhatsApp also announced that an HD video sharing option is also in the works, and will come to users later on. Similar to HD Photos, the HD Videos feature will allow users to send videos at a higher resolution and with more detail when released.