WhatsApp users can now send and receive HD videos through the app's platform.
The company behind the secure messaging app has reportedly released the feature that lets WhatsApp users send and receive HD videos through it following the release of its photo counterpart.
WhatsApp previously released the ability to send HD photos on the app in early August.
Less Video Compression
WhatsApp's HD media upload and download features are now complete. According to a report from Mashable, the company has finally launched the update that brings the ability to send and receive HD videos on its platform.
This feature is the finished product of the feature WhatsApp was developing and testing in late June. At the time, WhatsApp was letting beta testers try out the feature and gather feedback to improve it before its launch, per WABetaInfo.
It's worth remembering that before the update came along, WhatsApp compressed the videos sent through it, causing them to lose quality when they're uploaded, per Free Video Workshop. The app does this to ensure it takes less time and bandwidth to get them uploaded to its servers.
The result is a faster upload and download time from sender to recipient, albeit at the cost of quality due to compression. With the new feature, however, that won't be the case anymore.
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The process of sending an HD video is similar to its photo counterpart. A user should tap on the camera button on their phone and select a video they wish to send from the gallery. From there they have to choose if they wish to send their video in the standard or HD quality.
Unfortunately, WhatsApp's new feature comes with a twist: its standard quality video means recipients will get a 480p-resolution version of the original video. Meanwhile, the HD quality option will give a video's recipient a 720p version instead of the video's original resolution, per 9to5Mac.
As a result, WhatsApp can't send videos with a resolution better than 720p, even if the original video is in full HD (1080p) or 4K (2160p) quality. WhatsApp users are welcome to send videos through another method if they feel a 720p video is not good enough for them.
Nevertheless, this improvement will help people send videos in a casual setting - like sending videos to family members and loved ones. WhatsApp will roll out the feature through an update, but if you don't have it now, wait for a few weeks at most.
Other Upcoming WhatsApp Features
Aside from the ability to send photos and videos in HD, WhatsApp is also working on other features that will improve user experience, such as its new AI-generated stickers. The company is also developing a passkey login/sign-in method to WhatsApp, giving users a more secure method to log into their accounts.
The company is also working on a new feature that allows voice chat communication between groups, allowing up to 32 participants from separate groups to talk to each other through the app. The company also released a redesigned sticker and GIF picker for iOS devices - a feature it previously worked on that got a public release in early July.
Related Article: WhatsApp Now Lets Users Send HD Photos
