Google Messages Set to Launch HD Image Sharing Feature for Enhanced Photo Quality

Google Messages is on the verge of introducing a new capability that lets users send high-definition images over RCS. Currently, this feature is in testing and available to select beta testers. It mirrors the image-sharing options found in WhatsApp, allowing users to choose between a standard image with high compression or an HD alternative with reduced compression. At the end of 2023, support for Ultra HDR images was added to the Messages app, enhancing image quality while using additional data.

In the latest updates on Google Messages, the app is experimenting with a feature designed to let users share images with minimal compression. As reported, an HD option and an HD+ option are visible in the Photo Picker of the recent Messages beta version (messages.android_20241029_00_RC00.phone_samsung_openbeta_dynamic).

The HD option enables quicker sharing of images at a slightly reduced quality. On the other hand, the HD+ option allows users to share pictures in their original quality without any compression, although this will consume more data and may prolong the sending process. Once a user chooses their preferred resolution, an icon will feature a checkmark uniquely positioned in the bottom right corner.

This feature is expected to become widely available to all users of Google Messages in the near future. Earlier this year, the app also introduced a functionality permitting users to edit RCS messages within a window of 15 minutes after they have been dispatched, a similar feature to what WhatsApp provides. Notably, while WhatsApp supports an HD option alongside a Standard one, it lacks an HD+ option.

In September, Google unveiled a range of enhancements for the Messages app aimed at bolstering user privacy and shielding them from dubious calls and messages.