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Following photos, WhatsApp now lets users send videos in HD resolution

Last week, WhatsApp released an update for its iOS and Android apps that enabled a new option to send high-resolution images with less compression. And as promised by Meta, a similar option for sending videos in HD resolution is now being rolled out to WhatsApp users.

WhatsApp now supports HD video

Similar to photos, there was no way to choose the resolution of videos sent via WhatsApp. The app automatically compressed all videos and reduced their resolution to 480p, which is very low by today’s standards. Although this results in a smaller file that consumes less data and takes less time to upload, the quality of the videos is not good.

But with the latest WhatsApp update, users will notice a new option to send HD videos, just as Meta began offering for photos last week. By tapping the resolution button before sending a video, users can choose between Standard Quality and HD Quality.

If you choose Standard Quality, WhatsApp will compress and send the video in 480p resolution. This option can be useful if you’re using a slow internet connection or have limited data. But with the HD Quality option, videos are sent in 720p resolution – which is still much lower than 1080p or 4K but has a much more acceptable quality.

Before you send an image or video, WhatsApp will show you the file size for each option available. Of course, if you really want to send media in their original resolution, just send them as documents and WhatsApp will send the original files without any compression.

More about the app

In order to get access to these features, make sure you have the latest version of WhatsApp installed on your device. WhatsApp is available for free on the App Store. Keep in mind that it may take some time for the new feature to show up on your device.

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Avatar for Filipe Espósito Filipe Espósito

Filipe Espósito is a Brazilian tech Journalist who started covering Apple news on iHelp BR with some exclusive scoops — including the reveal of the new Apple Watch Series 5 models in titanium and ceramic. He joined 9to5Mac to share even more tech news around the world.