PSA: Messaging apps are lowering the quality of your photos and videos

Published January 1, 2026 | By Glenn

PSA: Messaging apps are lowering the quality of your photos and videos – howtogeek.com
Have you ever received a photo from a friend on a messaging app and thought, “Man, Patrick’s phone sucks”? It turns out it might not be their phone at all—many messaging apps lower image quality on purpose. Let me explain why, and if you stick around, I’ll show you how to fix it.