Point-and-shoot cameras are overshadowed by the impressive camera capabilities of Android smartphones. However, when it comes to sharing photos through apps like WhatsApp, the clarity and detail captured by these advanced cameras is often lost due to heavy compression.

Meta-owned WhatsApp has acknowledged the issue and is now rolling out a fix for a select group of beta testers. With the latest Android version, v2.23.12.13, and iOS version, v23.11.0.76, beta testers can now choose to reduce the compression applied to images. This new HD option allows users to send images in higher definition, while preserving the detail and resolution captured by their smartphone cameras.

By introducing the HD option, WhatsApp is recognizing the importance of maintaining image quality during transmission. Users now have the opportunity to express the true beauty of their images without compromising on clarity.

This update is in line with developments made by smartphone manufacturers, such as Samsung’s Isocell range, which have pushed the limits of camera sensor technology.

A recent update in WhatsApp has introduced a new option to save image resolution with a crop button at the top of the screen. This option allows users to keep the original resolution of the selected image instead of downgrading it to standard quality while preserving the aspect ratio. Interestingly, this option appears only for particularly high-resolution images.

It is important to note that these HD images are not completely uncompressed. They undergo slight compression. However, implementing this new HD option comes with a drawback. Users need to manually enable this for each individual image, which adds unnecessary complexity to the process.

Additionally, WhatsApp seems to have removed the ability to specify a default upload quality for images. Earlier, users could choose from options like Best Quality, Data Saver and Automatic.

Apart from the recent update that introduced the HD image option, it’s worth noting that WhatsApp currently doesn’t offer the ability to send uncompressed videos. However, if you want to avoid WhatsApp’s aggressive compression for media files, there may be a solution to attach them as documents instead.

WhatsApp has a large attachment file size limit, so even large video files can be sent uncompressed if you have a reliable Wi-Fi connection.

The HD Image option is currently being tested by a limited number of beta testers, but a wider beta rollout is expected to follow.