WhatsApp is testing three upload quality options when sending images and videos

Coming in a future update, WhatsApp will let you send images and videos in their best quality.


STORY HIGHLIGHTS:

  • WhatsApp is testing compression options for sending media
  • Three new image and video quality settings are being tested
  • These would help you optimize the app’s data consumption
  • Currently, WhatsApp lacks upload compression control

An illustration with a WhatsApp logo in white set against a green background

WhatsApp compression: New image and video quality options

As reported by WABetaInfo, the Facebook-owned service is testing three quality options when sending images and video to help people optimized their bandwidth consumption.

The following compression settings are being tested for photo and video uploads:

  • Auto (recommended): WhatsApp chooses the best compression for specific media
  • Best quality: Applies less compression to send media in the best quality
  • Data saver: Applies compression when the Data Saver option is turned on

It’s unclear when WhatsApp might stop testing these handy new upload compression controls in the Android beta and roll them out publicly to all users. The company typically kicks off a staggered rollout of a feature after testing it for a few weeks, so there’s that.

The company is also testing other unreleased features, like multi-device support for using WhatsApp across multiple devices at once without having to keep the mobile app running.

Moreover, WhatsApp is working on password-protected encrypted iCloud backups, the ability to transfer your whole conversation archive from iPhone to Android, vanishing media and more.

Why you need WhatsApp’s media quality settings

This is another welcome future addition to the world’s most popular messaging app.

WhatsApp currently applies some amount of compression when sending media in chats, but there are no user-facing controls to adjust the image and video quality for these uploads.

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With this change, people will be able to choose more compression to save their bandwidth on the go. Conversely, the Best Quality option should be safe to use if you have unlimited cellular data or are connected to your home network or a public Wi-Fi one.