WhatsApp is one of the biggest social media platforms in the world, boasting over 2.7 billion active users. And yet, strangely, there has never been a way to send high-quality images directly through the app.

Now, that’s all changing. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced on Instagram this week that WhatsApp users will soon be able to send their images in HD.

The feature was first introduced to beta testers in version 2.23.12.13 for Android and 23.11.0.76 for iOS. The update should roll out to the public sometime in the next two to three weeks.

Credit: WABetaInfo

Once users gain access to the new functionality, they will be able to see the HD gear icon near the top of their screen when adding images to a message thread. After clicking the cog, users will have access to two resolution options: Standard (1600 x 1052) and HD (4096 x 2692).

Despite Zuckerberg’s announcement, Meta is yet to reveal the full details of the change. For example, there’s no telling how the image compression will work, or how the HD pictures will compare to those shared on other platforms, such as Apple’s iMessage.

WhatsApp hasn’t provided a firm date for the release yet, but we can expect HD image capabilities to arrive on iOS and Android soon. The company has also announced its intention to introduce HD videos at some point in the future.