WhatsApp Introduces HD Photo Option

By Adedapo Adesanya

WhatsApp has announced that its latest update will allow users to share Higher Definition (HD) photos through the messaging app.

According to an announcement shared by Meta CEO, Mr Mark Zuckerberg, on his Instagram broadcast channel and via a Facebook post on Friday, the HD photos feature is rolling out to global users over the next few weeks, followed by support for HD videos.

The feature, which allows users to preserve the high-def resolution of the photos they share with friends and family, was previously in beta testing with select users.

To access the new feature, users will need first to update the messaging app to the latest release. After doing so, they will notice a new “HD” button at the top of the photo-sharing screen next to the other image editing tools like rotate and those for adding text and stickers to the photo.

When they tap the HD button, a new pop-up will appear, allowing the user to select the photo quality. By default, Standard Quality is selected.

WhatsApp says this choice was made to ensure that sharing photos remains fast and reliable.

However, users can now opt to check HD quality instead to preserve the photo’s high-definition version.

After sending the photo, the recipient will see the photo, which now has an HD label appear in the bottom-left corner, alerting them that you’ve shared a higher-quality image. All photos are protected via WhatsApp’s end-to-end encryption.

The company noted that if a user receives a photo with low bandwidth connectivity, they can choose on a photo-by-photo basis whether to keep the standard version or upgrade it to HD.

Also, the standard quality transmission will remain the default for senders, delaying the inevitable need to clear space in phone storage after receiving too many images in a group chat.

In related news, WhatsApp is reportedly rolling out a new feature to its Android beta testers to allow WhatsApp users to add multiple accounts to the popular messaging app.