Users are getting more control over their WhatsApp experience. The app’s been testing a feature since April that lets users choose the quality of photos and videos that download automatically to their devices. This feature is already available to some Android users who are part of the beta program.
According to WABetaInfo, this auto-download quality feature is available to users with the beta version 2.25.18.11 of WhatsApp for Android. More beta users can expect to get this feature in the coming weeks.
To find this feature, users can go to their WhatsApp settings, then Storage and data. Under “Media upload quality”, they’ll see “Auto-download quality”. This gives them two options: Standard and HD.
If users choose Standard, WhatsApp will auto-download a compressed version of the file. If they choose HD, the app will download the high-resolution version. Even if they choose Standard, they can still view the media in HD manually in the chat later, as long as the HD version is still on WhatsApp’s servers.
WABetaInfo also notes that WhatsApp has introduced a new system with a dual upload process for sending high-quality photos and videos. When users send an HD image or video, their device automatically generates both a standard and an HD version for upload.
This dual upload is necessary because of end-to-end encryption. Since WhatsApp can’t process the file on its servers to compress it, both the standard and HD versions are sent from the sender to WhatsApp’s servers. If the recipient has chosen to auto-download in standard quality, the compressed version will be downloaded and decrypted on their device.
More control for users
This new feature gives users more control over their data usage and storage. With the option to choose between standard and HD quality, users can manage their data usage and storage space more effectively.
The dual upload process may seem like an extra step, but it ensures that users can still send and receive high-quality media while maintaining end-to-end encryption. As WhatsApp continues to roll out this feature to more users, it’s clear that the app is committed to giving users more control over their experience.