WhatsApp begins testing full resolution media sharing

CALIFORNIA: Meta-owned messaging app, WhatsApp, has finally given beta testers a way to conveniently share uncompressed media, which eliminates the heavy-handed compression that was a major drawback.  

While sending media has been rather straightforward, WhatsApp’s heavy-handed compression was a major demerit.

It has been a while since users were able to share HD images and videos, but the need for compression is still a part of the picture. Now, finally, WhatsApp is giving beta testers a way to conveniently share uncompressed media.

In WhatsApp, documents are not compressed before being sent, so if you want to share uncompressed images and videos, you can attach them as documents to send them.

As a result of this workaround, the Android system file picker would have to be used instead of the WhatsApp media picker interface.

The process of locating the media on your phone’s internal storage could be a challenge if you don’t know exactly where the media is stored.

Last month, WABetaInfo reported that Meta was developing a new option in the document sharing menu, which redirects to the WhatsApp media picker.

WABetaInfo reports this option is now available to beta testers through the Google Play Store. If you have access, you can conveniently send uncompressed full-resolution media by tapping the paperclip icon in the message box, selecting Document, and then tapping Choose from gallery.

Backed by 2GB file size limits, beta testers can now share images and videos without worrying about loss in sharpness, detail, and colors because the images retain their HEIC metadata.

The feature is also particularly useful for sharing HDR videos, which are often ruined by compression.

The feature is in the beta testing phase now, and WhatsApp could change things before it rolls out in the stable channel.