WhatsApp has begun rolling out the ability to share a higher number of image files at one time in a chat, to some beta testers. The Meta-owned messaging service has also been spotted working on an update to enable high-quality image sharing over chats, or photos to retain their original quality. The firm was previously reported on working on a similar update for its Android and iOS apps, and it is now also reportedly working on the same for its desktop version, according to a report.
Feature tracker WABetaInfo reports that the firm is rolling out WhatsApp beta version 23.3.0.75 for iOS, which lets some testers share up to 100 media files at once. The app earlier allowed users to share up to 30 media files at a time in a chat.
The higher number of file-sharing feature is now available for some WhatsApp beta testers, and the platform expects to release it to other users soon. The post adds that some users may gain this ability after updating to version 23.3.0.73 or 23.3.0.74.
In another report, the app development tracker claims that WhatsApp is also working on allowing users to send photos “in their original quality” on the desktop version of the app. It was previously reported that the company was working on the same capability for its iOS and Android apps.
WhatsApp presently compresses images sent in chats to save space and bandwidth. Images sent through WhatsApp lose quality and detail. As a result, users prefer to send images in document format in order to retain the original quality. The format, however, does not provide a preview.
Unlike the ability to send a hundred images at a time, the feature to send images without any compression or reduction in quality, is still under development and not available for testing at the moment, according to WABetaInfo. However, the post shared a preview of the said feature.
A preview of the feature
Photo Credit: WABetaInfo
By tapping on a gear icon located in the drawing tool header, users will be able to send a high-quality image. They will be able to choose the resolution of the photos they want to send with this method. Aside from the original quality setting, users can also pick from automatic, best quality, and data saver options, as per the feature tracker.