Osegi
Mobile·1 min read

WhatsApp Tests Original-Quality Photo and Video Sending

WhatsApp is testing an option to send photos and videos with no compression in its Android beta, reportedly reserved for WhatsApp Plus subscribers.

A smartphone showing a WhatsApp chat with a photo being prepared for sending in original quality.
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WhatsApp has started testing a feature that lets users send photos and videos in their original quality, with no compression and no loss of resolution. The option appears in the Android beta, version 2.26.44.12.

It goes beyond the two choices available today, Standard quality and HD quality. In standard mode, the app compresses images and videos heavily. HD keeps more detail but still applies some compression.

What changes

The upcoming "Original quality" option is designed to bypass all compression algorithms. Only maximum limits on file size and resolution remain, and those limits are set high enough to cover most of what the cameras on an ordinary user's devices produce.

The feature is reserved for subscribers to WhatsApp Plus, the paid service. Other users can already send uncompressed files by choosing "Send as document", but the new option would make sending original media smoother, built into the media editor and the main media interface.

Why it matters

The move fits WhatsApp's new strategy of raising revenue by keeping some advanced features for paying subscribers. It also closes a gap that rivals such as Telegram have exploited for years.

The feature is still in testing, so its final design and release timing may change.

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Tags:whatsappwhatsapp plusandroid betamedia qualitymeta

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