WhatsApp is really doubling down on being your go-to spot for sharing those special moments with friends and family. The latest update for its iOS app now lets you shoot off photos and videos in “original quality.” Back in August, they rolled out the option to send HD photos on iOS, Android, and desktop, but even then, there was some compression in the mix. Now, WhatsApp is taking it up a notch by offering an uncompressed option for iOS users, making the whole photo and video sharing gig even better.
To get your hands on this ‘original quality’ feature, you’ll need WhatsApp version 23.24.73 on iOS, set to roll out “over the coming weeks” (though it’s already up for grabs on the App Store). Once you’ve got it, sending uncompressed media is a piece of cake. Just hit the ‘+’ icon in any chat, head to Document, tap ‘choose photo or video,’ pick your file, throw in a caption if you feel like it, and hit that trusty blue ‘send’ icon.
But, and there’s always a but, there are a couple of things to keep in mind. The file size is still capped at 2GB, so don’t get too carried away treating WhatsApp as your personal cloud backup. Plus, when you send photos and videos this way, they show up as file icons in your chat history, not as little previews of the images.
For iPhone users looking to share top-notch photos or send files for a bit of editing magic, this new feature is a game-changer. Android users, don’t fret; WhatsApp has been testing this in beta since September, so it’s on the way, even though the official release date is still up in the air.
