How to send HD photos in WhatsApp on iOS & Android

Whether manually or by default, it’s super easy to ensure you never send another compressed image or video to a friend on WhatsApp again.

WhatsApp is one of the most popular apps for sending messages and photos. However, by default, the app will compress any images you send whether individually to your BFF or in your favorite group chat.

Luckily, WhatsApp has been embracing high-resolution images and video over the years. You can not only send the latest HD photos and videos of your dog to your friends, manually, but you set it as the default going forward to streamline the whole process.

How to manually send HD WhatsApp photos & videos

1. Locate and open the WhatsApp app on your Android smartphone.
2. Select the contact you want to send the photo or image to.
3. Select the attachment icon in the bottom toolbar.
4. Select the purple Gallery icon from the populated list.
5. Choose the photo (or video) you wish to send.
6. Select HD icon from the list of icons at the top of the screen.
7. Choose HD quality from the two available options.
8. Select the green WhatsApp icon to send the HD photo or video.

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Before a later WhatsApp update, sending HD images and videos in the app required you to set the quality each time. To manually send HD media in WhatsApp, after selecting an image, click on the ‘HD’ icon from the listed options at the top of your smartphone screen.

Now the ‘Media quality’ menu will appear. From this new menu, select the ‘HD quality’ option from the list. To send the photo, select the green send icon and the photo of your choosing will now be sent at a higher quality.

You’ll know you’ve done it correctly as the image in your chat history will have a small HD icon in the bottom left corner.

How to set HD quality as default on WhatsApp with Android phone

1. Locate and open the WhatsApp app on your Android phone.
2. Select the three dots in the upper-right corner.
3. Select Settings.
4. Select Storage and data.
5. Scroll down and select Media upload quality from the middle of the list.
6. Select HD quality from the list & finalize by pressing Save in the bottom right corner.

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By default, the Media upload quality will be set to ‘Standard quality’ (1600 x 1052) on WhatsApp. The app automatically defaults to a standard quality for sending media because the file sizes are smaller, and therefore quicker to send.

If you still want to switch to sending HD media (4096 x 2692), selecting ‘Media upload quality’ within the storage and data settings on your smartphone will present you with the new HD quality option.

By selecting the small green icon on the left-hand side, and saving your selection, your WhatsApp app will now send high-quality photos and images by default.

It’s worth noting, that even the cutest cat pic will now be slower to send, and the file size may not be up to 6 times larger than on standard quality.

Note: If you’re sending media over your mobile and not WiFi, it’ll also take a larger chunk of your monthly data allowance.

How to set HD quality as default on WhatsApp with iPhone

1. Locate and open the WhatsApp app on your iPhone
2. Select the settings icon in the lower-right corner
3. Select Storage and data.
4. Scroll down and select Media upload quality from the middle of the list.
5. Select HD quality from the list.

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Setting WhatsApp to send HD-quality photos and videos on iPhone is just as straightforward as on Android-based smartphones. Just like on Android, the HD quality option will be available within the ‘Storage and data’ menu of the app’s settings.

On iPhones, you won’t have a ‘save’ option to finalize the change at the end. Instead, after selecting ‘HD quality’, just swipe to the left and return to the app’s homepage. From now on, all your photos and videos will automatically be sent in HD quality.

For more WhatsApp tips and tricks, feel free to check our comprehensive guide on how to use WhatsApp.