When sending pictures through WhatsApp, it’s common for the image quality to decrease. This can be frustrating if you want to share high-quality photos with friends and family. Luckily, there are a few tricks you can use to send WhatsApp pictures without losing image quality.
Why Do WhatsApp Images Lose Quality?
WhatsApp compresses images in order to save space and allow faster upload/download times. The app automatically resizes and compresses any photos you send, which results in reduced image quality. The amount of compression depends on the original size of your image.
WhatsApp uses lossy compression, which permanently removes some image data to shrink file size. This causes images to lose quality each time they’re compressed. The larger the original image, the more detail is lost during compression.
Tips to Send High Quality Pictures on WhatsApp
Here are some tips to avoid excess image compression and maintain quality when sending photos through WhatsApp:
1. Resize Before Sending
Resize large images to a lower resolution before uploading to WhatsApp. You can use an editing app like Snapseed or Adobe Lightroom to export a smaller version of the photo before sending. This minimizes the image degradation caused by WhatsApp compression.
For best results, resize to under 3MP (megapixels). The maximum resolution allowed on WhatsApp is 4032×3024 pixels.
2. Send the Original
WhatsApp allows you to send the original full resolution photo or video without compression. This maintains maximum image quality. To do this:
- Open the photo you want to send in your phone’s gallery.
- Tap on the Share button (usually at the bottom)
- Select WhatsApp from the sharing options.
- Tap the Original or Actual Size option at the top before sending.
The only downside is that original photos take longer to upload and download.
3. Use WhatsApp Web
Uploading photos through WhatsApp Web (web.whatsapp.com) will send images without compression. So quality is maintained even for large files. To use WhatsApp Web:
- Open WhatsApp on your computer browser and scan the QR code to link your account.
- Select the chat where you want to send the photo.
- Click the paperclip icon to attach the image.
- Upload the desired photo from your computer.
- Hit send to deliver the full quality image.
4. Send a Link to Cloud Storage
You can upload photos to a cloud service like Google Drive or Dropbox, then share the link on WhatsApp. This prevents image compression while allowing recipients to download the original quality photo. Follow these steps:
- Upload the photo to cloud storage from your phone gallery or computer.
- Open the app or cloud service and tap Share.
- Choose Copy Link and paste the shared link to your WhatsApp chat.
- Recipients can click the link to view or download the full resolution image.
5. Use a Third-Party App
Some apps can help you get around WhatsApp’s image compression. For iPhone users, Google Photos allows you to share images up to 16MP without quality loss. On Android, apps like Full Quality for WA or Share Unlimited let you send original images.
These apps integrate with WhatsApp to provide uncompressed image sharing. The receiving user may still need the same app to download the original photo though.
Fix Blurry Pictures Sent Through WhatsApp
If you’ve already sent an image on WhatsApp and the quality is poorer than the original, there are still a few ways to recover a clearer version on the receiving end:
- Ask the sender to resend the original quality photo using the tips above.
- Use photo editing software like Photoshop to sharpen and enhance the image after downloading.
- Download the image and reverse lookup via Google Images to find a better quality version on the web.
Unfortunately, there is no way to retroactively improve the quality of an already compressed WhatsApp photo. The image data lost during compression is unrecoverable. Going forward, use the methods suggested in this article to maintain photo quality.
Conclusion
Compression is necessary for quick sharing on WhatsApp, but it shouldn’t come at the cost of poor photo quality. With the right technique, you can successfully transfer full resolution pictures over WhatsApp. Some clever workarounds include resizing before sending, using WhatsApp Web, and linking to uncompressed images on cloud storage.
Following these tips will ensure you can share beautiful, high-quality photos that retain their crisp details – even after being delivered on WhatsApp. Just be careful not to overload recipients with massive image files! A balance of reasonable file size and maximum quality is ideal.
At the end of the day, WhatsApp compresses images to optimize convenience and speed. But with the methods above, you can take back control over quality. Share those special moments in their full glory, not ruined and pixelated after WhatsApp compression. Just use your preferred trick to upload original or high-res versions of your photos before hitting send.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my image lose quality on WhatsApp?
WhatsApp uses lossy compression to reduce image file size before sending. This compression permanently removes image data and reduces quality.
How much does WhatsApp compress images?
WhatsApp compresses images down to under 100 KB, or about 10x compression compared to the original size. Photos over 3MP will see significant quality loss.
Will my image quality improve if I send the original file?
Yes, sending the original full resolution photo will maintain maximum image quality. Tap ‘Original’ or ‘Actual Size’ before sending to avoid compression.
Can I recover lost quality after sending a compressed WhatsApp image?
Unfortunately no, the image degradation caused by WhatsApp compression is permanent. You’ll need to resend the photo using one of the quality-preserving methods above.
Does WhatsApp Web compress images?
No, WhatsApp Web uploads photos without compression. So images retain full quality when sending via web.whatsapp.com.
Summary of Key Points
- WhatsApp uses lossy compression to shrink images, lowering quality.
- Resize large photos below 3MP before sending to minimize quality loss.
- Tap ‘Original’ or ‘Actual Size’ before sending to upload unmodified image.
- Use WhatsApp Web to send photos without compression from your computer.
- Share links to your full resolution photos stored in the cloud.
- Third party apps can integrate with WhatsApp to share original quality photos.
Image Quality Comparison Table
| Image Type | Quality Level | File Size | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Original | Highest | Large | Full resolution retained |
| Compressed | Low | Small | Degraded by WhatsApp compression |
| Resized smaller | Medium | Small | Reduced pixels before sending |
| Sent via Web | Highest | Large | No compression on WhatsApp Web |