WhatsApp rolls out media quality settings for photo and video uploads

By Alimat Aliyeva

WhatsApp has begun rolling out a long-awaited feature for Android beta users, allowing them to choose the quality of photos and videos they upload automatically. According to Azernews, the feature is accessible in beta version 2.25.18.11 under the “Media Upload Quality” setting in the app’s “Storage and Data” menu.

Users can now pick between:

• Standard Quality – compresses files to save data and upload time

• HD Quality – preserves higher resolution for better visual clarity

Due to WhatsApp’s end-to-end encryption, the app cannot alter media on its servers. To work around this, the sender’s device uploads both a standard and an HD version. The recipient’s app then chooses which version to download, based on their preferences and current network conditions.

This dual-upload system balances privacy, image quality, and data flexibility, making it ideal for users who want to save bandwidth but still have the option to share high-quality content when needed.

The feature is currently limited to beta users but will likely become available to the wider public in an upcoming release.