This latest upgrade likely resolves the common issue of the reduction in the quality of the shared file on WhatsApp due to compression.
Instant messaging platform WhatsApp is rolling out support for sharing videos in HD to Android and iOS users, according to a TechCrunch report. The news follows the social media company’s recent move to let users share images in high resolution.
The Meta-owned application will give users the choice to send videos in HD up to 720p. This is up from WhatsApp’s previous resolution limit of up to 480p, wherein higher resolution videos had to be compressed with reduced quality.
Talking about the process of sending videos in the new format, users will have to first select the video/s they wish to share. This will be followed by choosing the new HD button present on the top of the screen, after which users will see a dialog box asking them to confirm if they wish to share the video/s in ‘Standard Quality’ or ‘HD Quality’ and will show the associated file sizes. After choosing the desired format, users simply have to send the usual share button.
The recipient of the video/s will see a small HD badge, giving them the option to decide if they have the storage space available to view the video in HD quality. Similar to WhatsApp text messages, calls, and images, this latest video upgrade is also protected by WhatsApp’s end-to-end encryption. The feature is expected to be available to all users soon.
Earlier this month, WhatsApp rolled out the ability to share HD images on the platform, Meta chief Mark Zuckerberg announced via the tech giant’s broadcast channel on Instagram. “Sharing photos on WhatsApp just got an upgrade – now you can send in HD,” Zuckerberg posted.
The latest upgrade of sharing better quality photos/videos is a step to resolve the common issue encountered by WhatsApp users of the reduction in quality of the shared file due to compression. The social media application employs compression algorithms to reduce the size of media files, optimizing them for faster transmission and saving data. This compression, however, can lead to a loss of image and video quality, resulting in grainy or blurry content. To mitigate this, users deploy methods like sharing images/videos in “Document format, etc.
Meanwhile, the company has announced a couple of new features this month including the ability to share screen on video calls, edit captions of sent media (photos, videos, GIFs, and documents), and create groups without names.
