A new feature is being rolled out on WhatsApp designed to boost the quality of people's messages on the app - but it could result in higher data bills. The service is trialling an option allowing users to post higher-resolution pictures and videos which look sharper but cost more to send due to the increased file sizes.
It means that someone's mobile data allowance could be eaten up very quickly if the option was left switched on. In addition, WhatsApp stores files received via the app on devices as a default, so people should check their settings in this area too to avoid losing too much storage space, The Mirror reports.
WhatsApp's owner Meta appears to have taken these issues into account, according to the website WABetaInfo which tracks new updates on the app as they are released. "The default option for any video is always “standard quality”," says WABetaInfo.
"So, whenever you want to share a new video with better quality, you will need to select the high-quality option each time. When users share a video using the high-quality option, it will be marked as a high-quality video in the conversation. As happens with high-quality photos, a new tag is automatically added to the message bubble when a video is shared by using this feature, making it easier for the recipient to identify that the video was sent in better quality."
The new feature is being trialled as part of the WhatsApp beta programme, which means it isn't available to every user yet. It is being tested on both Android and iPhone versions of the app.
