WhatsApp has begun rolling out HD photo sharing for all users on the chat application. The feature will be rolled out by Meta to users over the next few weeks. With the latest update, users will be able to share high-quality and high-resolution images in their WhatsApp chats from both Android and iOS — even WhatsApp Web and desktop users will be able to send images that will be accompanied by a small ‘HD’ icon. Meta has also announced that support for sending HD videos is coming soon.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced the rollout of the feature on Thursday via a Facebook post. When adding an image to a chat thread, users will see an HD icon. The feature was tested earlier this year on the beta channel in June. Images with an HD resolution are clearer, but they also consume more data — when they are transferred — and more storage space, compared to non-HD images.
WhatsApp feature tracker WABetaInfo had previously revealed that the app will lightly compress even an HD image. The default will be the Standard non-HD option and users will have to manually select the HD option each time they plan to share a high-quality image.
With the announcement, Meta hasn’t specified how much compression will be applied to HD photos, how they will appear when compared to transmitting images over Apple’s iMessage or any other rival platform.
It is worth noting that HD photos, like any other media shared on WhatsApp, will also be protected by end-to-end encryption. Recipients with slow internet connections will have the option of downloading the standard version.
WhatsApp also recently rolled out a screen-sharing feature during video calls which has a similar layout to that of Google Meet or Zoom. The call participants appear in small rectangular tiles on the right side of the screen while the shared screen is seen in the primary view.