WhatsApp update will finally fix grainy and low-quality pictures

(AFP/Getty)

An upcoming WhatsApp update could finally let people send better quality images through the app.

Despite the fact that it is widely used to share photos, WhatsApp does not send them at fully quality – instead, it compresses them significantly, meaning they arrive sometimes grainy and low-quality.

While the compression ensures that the images do not take up too much data to send or space on people’s phones, it does also mean that they can look as if they were taken on a far worse camera because of the extreme compression.

Now the company appears to be testing a new update that will allow people to send pictures at “best quality” and preserve the details and quality.

The new features will allow people to choose “upload quality” for their photos and videos, picking between “best quality” and “data saver”, as well as the option to have the phone choose automatically.

When choosing, users are warned that sending photos at best quality means they will be “larger and take longer to send”.

The new features were found in an unreleased version of the app by WABetaInfo, which has a track record of uncovering unreleased features wtihin the app.

The feature was only found in the Android and beta version of the app, and so is yet to roll out more widely. It remains unclear when it will arrive, and whether it will also be added to the iOS version.

WhatsApp is working on a wide range of features to improve the app. They include finally introducing the option to use the service across multiple devices, as most other mainstream messaging apps have allowed for years, as well as allowing people on WhatsApp to message people on other Facebook services such as Instagram and Messenger.