To send photos on WhatsApp, open the chat, tap the attach icon (or press and hold it on Android) and choose Gallery, pick one or more photos, add a caption if you want, then tap Send. To take a new photo instead, tap the camera icon in the chat. Before sending, you can choose Standard quality or HD quality, and you can make HD the default in Settings.
Sending a photo takes seconds. The settings around it are what decide whether it arrives sharp, whether it can be saved and how many you can send in one go, so here's each one.
How to send photos on your phone
- Open the individual or group chat.
- To send an existing photo, open the attachment menu and tap Gallery, then select the photos or videos you want. To take a new one, tap the camera icon.
- If you're sending a photo you've just taken, tap the quality icon and choose Standard quality or HD quality.
- Edit the photo or add a caption if you like.
- Tap Send.
If you send HD media over mobile data, WhatsApp may ask Continue without WiFi?. Tap Continue to send it on your cellular connection anyway.
How to send photos from a computer
- Open the chat in WhatsApp on your computer.
- Click the attach icon, then Photos & Videos, and choose files from your computer. You can also drag and drop a photo straight into the text field.
- To use your webcam, choose Camera instead.
- Click the send icon.
WhatsApp says you can send up to 100 photos or videos at once from a computer and add a caption to each one. To change quality before sending, click the settings icon and choose Standard quality or HD quality, then Done.
Standard vs HD quality
| Standard quality | HD quality | |
|---|---|---|
| Clarity | Lower | Clearer |
| Data used | Less | More |
| Sending speed | Faster | Slower, and faster on Wi-Fi than mobile data |
| Works for status or profile pictures | Yes | No, HD isn't available for status updates or profile pictures |
Make HD the default
Go to WhatsApp Settings, then Storage and data, then Media upload quality, and select HD quality. You can still pick Standard quality for individual photos when you send them.
One rule to know: you can't upgrade a photo you've already sent. If it went in standard quality, WhatsApp's only fix is to send it again in HD. Even then, WhatsApp says the internet connection affects the quality of media sent and received. If you want the detail on compression, I've covered whether WhatsApp lowers image quality.
Editing a photo before you send it
- Crop or rotate it, and tap Reset to go back to the original.
- Add emojis, stickers, text or freehand drawings.
- Undo or redo any change as many times as you need.
Sending a photo as view once
View once photos disappear from the chat after the recipient opens them once. They aren't saved to the recipient's Photos or Gallery, and they can't be forwarded, shared or copied. WhatsApp also blocks screenshots and screen recording of view once media, but it points out that someone could still photograph the screen with another device before it disappears.
- Open the chat and choose a photo from your Gallery or take one with the Camera.
- Tap the view once icon. When it turns green, you're in view once mode.
- Tap Send.
If the other person has read receipts turned on, you'll see Opened once they've viewed it. There's more on what WhatsApp does when someone tries to screenshot a view once photo.
Photos that arrive blurry
WhatsApp gives two main reasons. A photo can look blurry if WhatsApp can no longer find it on your device or SD card, usually because it was deleted, and turning on media auto-download for photos helps. It can also look blurry if your connection was weak when it was sent, so restart your device, check your Wi-Fi and update WhatsApp.
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Sending a photo as a document
If you need the original file, send it through the Document option instead of Photos. WhatsApp says the maximum document size is 2 GB, which is useful for print-ready images or files you don't want squeezed into a chat preview.
My verdict
Set Media upload quality to HD once and forget about it, unless you're often on a weak mobile signal. Use view once for anything private like a document photo or a code, but don't treat it as screenshot-proof against a second phone. And if someone needs the full original, send it as a document rather than a photo.
Frequently asked questions
How do I send photos on WhatsApp?
Open the chat, open the attachment menu and tap Gallery, select one or more photos, add a caption if you want, then tap Send. To take a new photo, tap the camera icon in the chat.
How many photos can I send at once on WhatsApp?
WhatsApp says you can send up to 100 photos or videos at once from WhatsApp on a computer, with a caption on each one.
How do I send HD photos on WhatsApp?
Choose HD quality before you send, or make it the default in Settings, then Storage and data, then Media upload quality, and select HD quality.
Can I change a photo to HD after sending it?
No. WhatsApp says you can't upgrade the quality of a photo you've already sent, but you can send it again in HD quality.
Can someone screenshot a view once photo on WhatsApp?
WhatsApp blocks screenshots and screen recordings of view once media, but someone could still photograph it with another device before it disappears.
