How to send photos and video in full quality

Why do the photos look blurry in the chat?

Messenger and WhatsApp send a photo at lower quality unless you turn on HD, so it is quicker to send. In WhatsApp, the video limit is 100 MB and 720p on a fast connection, and 64 MB and 480p on a slow one (sources 1, 2, 3).

How to share photos at full resolution

• •In an iCloud shared album. An album from iOS 27 or later keeps the photos at full resolution and in the original format (source 4). Read how to make a shared album for iPhone and Android.
• •With a Jottacloud link. The files keep their full quality, also when you share them (source 5).

How to send HD photos in Messenger

1. 1.Choose the photo in the chat.
2. 2.Turn on HD.
3. 3.Tap Send. (source 2)

You can also tap the plus button in the chat and send a file of up to 100 MB (source 2).

How to send in HD in WhatsApp

Before you send a photo, you can choose between Standard quality and HD quality (source 3). Choose HD quality, and the photo is sharper for the person who gets it.

How to send a long video

• •As a WhatsApp document. Choose Document instead of photos and videos, and the file can be up to 2 GB. You can also trim the video before you send it (source 1).
• •With an iCloud link. Anyone with the link can see the photos and videos, and the link stops working after 30 days (source 6).
• •With a Jottacloud link. You can share large files with a link (source 5).

How to do it with skokk

We make skokk, an app where the whole family posts photos and short videos to the same group. The app saves each photo as a JPEG, with up to 4096 pixels on the long side, and removes the data about where the photo was taken.

A video can be up to 30 seconds and 200 MB, and the app does not make it smaller. Video costs NOK 200 a month per group, while photos are free.

To send a longer video, or photos at full resolution, an iCloud shared album, a link or a WhatsApp document is better.

Sources

We checked the sources in October 2026.

1. WhatsApp Help Center: Can’t send longer videos. faq.whatsapp.com/545917406122452
2. Meta: HD Photos, Shared Albums and More on Messenger, 9 April 2024. about.fb.com/news/2024/04/hd-photos-shared-albums-and-more-on-messenger
3. WhatsApp Help Center: How to send media, contacts, or location. faq.whatsapp.com/164676891531296
4. Apple: Shared Albums limits. support.apple.com/en-us/148868
5. Jottacloud: Features. jottacloud.com/en/features
6. Apple: Share photos and videos with an iCloud Link on iCloud.com. support.apple.com/en-us/guide/icloud-ipad/mm93a9b98683