Google Messages has become the default messaging app on most Samsung phones worldwide. Samsung took this step to simplify the availability of RCS. Now, Google is making it easier to select image quality when sharing photos with others over the RCS standard.
Google Messages to bring WhatsApp-like HD image quality option
Google is taking inspiration from WhatsApp to offer users an option of choosing the image quality while chatting. As spotted by Android Authority, Google is testing the option to choose HD image quality in the Google Messages app for Android smartphones.
This feature was found in the photo picker of the latest beta version (messages.android_20241029_00_RC00.phone_samsung_openbeta_dynamic) of Google Messages.
When you are in a chat thread and select the option to send a message, once you choose an image, a new menu will appear at the bottom that lets you choose between two options: Optimize For Chat (HD) and Original Quality (HD+).
The Optimize For Chat option will reduce the quality of the image compared to the original file so that it can be sent faster. The Original Quality option will send the original image file, but the transfer could be slow and it uses more data.
Whatever option you choose, Google Messages will show the appropriate logo (HD or HD+) on top of that image.
In comparison, WhatsApp uses HD and non-HD options. When you choose the HD quality option, WhatsApp will still resize the image and optimize its quality for a smaller size compared to the original file, but it will have a 12MP resolution. The non-HD option will use 720p resolution, which is the default setting.
In that way, Google Messages will be superior to WhatsApp. However, millions of people use WhatsApp, while RCS is still not common among Android users.
What about image quality on RCS messages between Galaxy and iPhone users?
It is expected that RCS usage will jump once Apple activates RCS worldwide on iPhones running iOS 18. While Apple has released the iOS 18 update, it hasn't activated RCS on all carriers globally.
Once RCS is activated on iPhones on more carriers globally, the messaging experience will be a lot better between Android and iPhone users.
