If anyone has ever shared a photo or a video with you via WhatsApp on iOS, you’ve probably experienced lesser quality media than you expected. This is especially pronounced, given how good the iPhone cameras have become. This has been a problem for some time, but it’s about to come to an end.
WABetaInfo recently discovered that WhatsApp has submitted a new stable iOS update to the App Store (build number 23.24.73) that allows users to “…easily send original quality photos and videos as documents so they will be shared without compression or quality loss.”
That means the photos and videos iOS users share via the app will be in their original quality and not compressed to the point where they appear of lesser quality than intended.
For this feature, users will share those images and photos from the Documents option in the share sheet and then select Choose Photo or Video.
The feature is rolling out now and any iOS user who uses WhatsApp should immediately update the app. Once the 23.24.73 version is installed, the feature is included with WhatsApp.
Do keep in mind, however, that sharing original quality photos and videos will consume more data from your monthly plan. This is especially so with video files, which can be quite large, depending on the length of the video.
WhatsApp has been testing the feature for Android users since September but has yet to release it to the stable version of the app. As of now, there is no defined date when Android will receive this same update. I just verified this in my WhatsApp installation (Android 14 on a Pixel 8 Pro) and the latest update does not include the new feature.
Back in August, WhatsApp made it possible to send High Definition (HD)-quality photos, which was a big step up from Standard Definition (SD). You can learn how to do this in ZDNET’s how-to here. However, original quality photos/videos are yet another step up, as they do not use any compression at all (so the quality is much better than either Standard Definition or High Definition). If you want your recipient to receive the photo or video exactly as it was shot, you’ll want to use original quality.
