How to send photos on WhatsApp without losing quality (5 ways)

With over 2 billion monthly active users, WhatsApp is the most popular instant messaging platform. It has a clean interface with plenty of features. However, not everything is sunshine and rainbows. WhatsApp, by default, reduces photo quality by up to 70% for faster sharing.

WhatsApp’s image compression is good for users with low internet speed and low storage, but it’s frustrating for many users. Fortunately, there are ways to send photos on WhatsApp without losing quality. In this step-by-step guide, I’ll reveal methods to send high-quality photos on WhatsApp.

Also Read: How to add GIFs and stickers to WhatsApp

How to send high-quality photos on WhatsApp (5 methods)

Use any of the methods below to share WhatsApp photos without thinking about any quality loss.

1. Select the HD quality option

This is the easiest way to send high-quality photos on WhatsApp. Simply select the photos in WhatsApp and choose the HD option at the top before hitting the send button.

Step 1: Launch WhatsApp and open a chat.

Step 2: Tap on the paperclip icon and select Gallery.

Step 3: Select the photos you want to share.

Step 4: Click the HD option at the top and choose HD quality.

Step 5: Click the send button.

If you share multiple photos, selecting the HD option for an image applies to all images. So, there’s no need to do it manually for every image.

2. Send photos as documents

Sending photos as documents is a popular way to preserve quality in WhatsApp. The recipient receives the original images with no difference in file size and quality.

Here’s how to do it:

Step 1: Open a WhatsApp chat and tap the paperclip icon.

Step 2: Select the Document option.

Step 3: Click Choose from gallery.

Step 4: Select the photos you want to send.

Step 4: Click the Send button.

This is a helpful way to send quality sensitive photos such as medical prescriptions, certificates, etc.

3. Rename the file extension

We can change the image file extension to bypass WhatsApp’s compression algorithm. WhatsApp only compresses photos and videos. It doesn’t compress documents or PDFs.

So, we can change the image file extension from “.jpg” or “.png” to “.doc” or “.pdf” before sharing. After downloading, the recipient must change the file extension to the original one to see the high-quality image.

I’m using Files by Google in the steps below.

Step 1: Open File Manager and locate the image you want to send.

Step 2: Select the Rename option from the image options.

Step 3: Change the file extension from “jpg” or “png” to “pdf”.

Step 4: Click Rename to change the file extension.

Step 5: Send the file on WhatsApp.

Step 6: Ask the recipient to download it and change the file extension to the original format (jpg or png).

Now, the recipient has the images without any quality loss.

4. Use a cloud storage service

You can back up original photos on cloud storage such as Google Drive, Mega, and Dropbox and send the download link to your WhatsApp contact.

Here’s how to do it (using Google Drive):

Step 1: Open Google Drive.

Step 2: Click + New and choose the Upload option.

Step 3: Choose the photos you want to send and wait for the images to be uploaded.

Step 4: Swipe down to refresh the list to see the uploaded image.

Step 5: Click three dots right next to an image and select Copy link.

Step 6: Send the link to your WhatsApp contact.

The other person can tap on the link and download the photos in original quality.

5. Send photos as a ZIP file

Renaming files or uploading them on a cloud storage can be a hassle. Instead, you can simply create a zip file containing all the images and send it to your contact on WhatsApp without worrying about quality loss.

Step 1: Download the RAR app from the Google Play Store.

Step 2: Give necessary permissions.

Step 3: Select the images you want to send and click the ZIP create button.

Step 4: Select ZIP and click OK.

Step 5: Send the ZIP file to the other user on WhatsApp.

The other user must extract the ZIP file to get the images.

Bonus method

Some methods require much more work to send photos on WhatsApp without losing quality. But there’s a great way to share photos or videos without losing quality.

We’ll be using ToffeeShare. It’s a fantastic tool to share original files without any limits. You don’t need to download an app.

Step 1: Go to Toffeeshare.com and click Select files.

Step 2: Select Media picker.

Step 3: Choose the images and click Select.

Step 4: Click Share and share the link with the other person on WhatsApp.

Step 5: Ask the other person to click the link to download the photos.

[Important: Do not turn off your internet and the browser tab until the other person has finished downloading files.]

Toffeeshare is a peer-to-peer file-sharing tool. The other person (whom you’re sharing the link with) directly downloads from your device. You don’t need to upload images.

FAQs:

I hope this guide has been helpful to you in uncovering ways to send photos on WhatsApp without losing quality. If you have anything to ask or share, please write in the comments below.