Users will be able to send high-definition videos on the well-known messaging service thanks to a feature that WhatsApp has started testing. The feature, which allows users to send high-quality photos, was recently rolled out to beta testers and has been spotted on the most recent beta versions of WhatsApp for iOS and Android. The messaging app, which is owned by Meta, is also working on Material You-themed alerts for Android and iOS group chat improvements for profile images.
Users will be able to send high-quality videos once they update to WhatsApp beta for iOS 23.13.0.76 and WhatsApp beta for Android 2.23.14.10, according to feature tracker WABetaInfo. Currently, WhatsApp compresses shared videos at the expense of video quality in order to improve network performance. According to reports, users will be presented with two video quality options when attaching a video.
When sharing a video, users will notice an “HD” button in the preview window. Tapping the button will bring up a pop-up window asking whether the user wants to send the video in Standard quality or HD. The app will also let users know that while standard quality is quicker to send and takes up less space on their smartphone, HD quality is clearer.
It’s also important to note that, similar to the high-resolution image-sharing feature, WhatsApp will automatically send standard-quality videos by default; users must manually select the HD option whenever they want to send high-resolution videos. A small HD icon can be seen on the media preview in the chat window to indicate that videos and images have been sent in HD quality.
After updating to the most recent version, users of WhatsApp for iOS and Android who are on the beta update channel should be able to send HD videos and images. There is no information on when these features will be accessible to all users on the stable channel, though, as with all features that the company is testing.
In the meantime, WhatsApp is also enhancing how iOS groups display user profile icons. WhatsApp will display a user’s initials in place of a profile photo if they haven’t set one, making it simpler for users to recognize members of large groups. On the most recent Android beta, the messaging platform is also rolling out redesigned alerts with rounded corners; these Material You-themed changes are anticipated to roll out to users on the stable update channel in a future update.
