WhatsApp is testing a way to send photos with no quality loss

WhatsApp is reportedly working on a way to send photos and videos with no quality loss. The new Original quality option would sit next to Standard and HD on Android. The catch is that it may be only for people who pay for WhatsApp Plus. The details come from a report by WABetaInfo.

What it does

WhatsApp squeezes photos and videos to make them smaller, which is why shared pictures can look softer than the originals. This squeezing is called compression. The current HD option reduces it but does not remove it. Original quality would send the file with no compression, so the person receiving it gets the same quality saved on the sender's phone.

• Today, the drawing editor offers Standard and HD.
• The new option would be a third choice, Original quality.
• You would pick it before sending a photo or video.

What it costs and who gets it

The report says Original quality will be available only to WhatsApp Plus subscribers. The material does not say what the subscription costs. It could appeal to people who often share high-quality photos and videos and do not want to lose detail.

What is not known yet

WhatsApp has not announced a rollout date. The feature is still in development and is not yet available for beta testing, which means early testers cannot try it either.

What to do now

You do not need a subscription to send full-quality files. You can send photos and videos as documents instead, and WhatsApp will not compress them. It takes more steps than sending through the drawing editor, but it works today for free.