Snapchat is a popular social media app that allows users to send photos, videos, and messages that disappear after being viewed. One of the app’s key features is that the images and videos sent through Snapchat are compressed or reduced in quality before being delivered to the recipient.
Why does Snapchat reduce image quality?
There are a few reasons why Snapchat compresses images and videos:
- To save storage space and bandwidth. By reducing image sizes, Snapchat is able to cut down on storage and bandwidth costs associated with transferring large, high-resolution files.
- To encourage ephemeral sharing. The temporary nature of Snapchat content is part of its appeal. Lower quality images align with the fleeting, informal nature of Snapchat communication.
- For privacy reasons. The compression makes it more difficult to capture and widely share or distribute private Snapchat images without the sender’s consent.
How much does Snapchat reduce quality?
Snapchat reduces image quality significantly compared to the original. According to tests, Snapchat images are typically:
- Less than 25% of the file size of the original image
- Less than 10% of the resolution (megapixels) of the original image
For example, a 12MP photo from a smartphone camera may be compressed down to around 1MP on Snapchat. This means over 90% of the original image detail and quality is lost.
Does Snapchat reduce video quality?
Yes, Snapchat also compresses and reduces the quality of videos sent through the app. Snapchat videos are:
- Capped at a maximum resolution of 720p HD
- Encoded using the inefficient H.263 codec
- Bitrates limited to around 2.5 megabits per second
As a result, Snapchat videos appear far lower in quality than the original recordings. Details are soft, colors are muted, and videos have compression artifacts like pixelation.
Does image quality decrease with repeated sending?
Yes, image and video quality degrades further if the same Snapchat is screenshotted or captured then resent multiple times. This is because each time a Snapchat image is screenshotted and resent, it undergoes another round of compression by the app.
For example, a photo may be compressed to 1MP on the original sending. If the recipient screenshots it and sends it again, the image may be further compressed down to 0.5MP. After several recircles, the image can become unrecognizable.
Can you improve image quality on Snapchat?
There are a few tricks that can slightly improve Snapchat image quality, although the app will still compress images:
- Use the rear/main camera instead of the selfie camera, which has higher resolution.
- Make sure lighting conditions are optimal.
- Turn off any beauty filters that further process/compress images.
- Crop images slightly before sending to maximize focus on key subjects.
However, significant compression will still occur. The only way to guarantee no quality loss is to avoid sending images through Snapchat.
Does Snapchat notify users about quality changes?
Snapchat does not directly notify users about compression or reductions in quality for photos and videos. However, some of Snapchat’s help/support pages indicate that:
- Images and videos are altered to “save storage space on your device and in the cloud.”
- “Some details may be slightly warped or smoothed over.”
But there are no warnings about significant reductions in resolution or detail. First-time users often notice the drop in quality only when images are recirculated outside of Snapchat.
Does compression affect all users equally?
Snapchat’s compression affects all users equally. There are no settings to disable compression or improve quality for certain users. The reductions in image and video resolution occur for:
- All users sending and receiving Snaps on iOS and Android
- Paid subscribers and non-subscribers
- Users with cellular data plans and WiFi
This universal compression allows Snapchat to control storage costs and creates an equal playing field in terms of image quality across its user base.
Can you tell if an image is from Snapchat?
There are a few signs that can indicate an image originated on Snapchat:
- Lower resolution and clarity than expected from the smartphone camera
- Bitmoji or other Snapchat stickers, filters, text, etc.
- Black bars on the sides if the image has been resized
- Caption textboxes if screenshotted from Snapchat.
The appearance tends to be somewhat soft and grainy. However, it’s not always definitively possible to tell if compression artifacts are from Snapchat or another source.
Does Snapchat offer high quality capture options?
No, Snapchat does not have settings to send or receive images in higher resolution or quality. All photos and videos are compressed by default. The only way to get full quality is to save or screenshot Snaps locally, or request that the sender export and send the original uncropped image separately.
Should you care about Snapchat image quality?
Whether Snapchat’s compressed quality matters depends on the user and the context:
- For everyday communication, lower quality may be perfectly acceptable.
- For professional content creation or photography purposes, the quality loss is more problematic.
- Users looking to print, enlarge, or edit Snaps will be dissatisfied with the quality.
The ephemeral nature of Snapchat means most users aren’t too concerned about permanent image quality. But users should be aware that what is seen in the app is significantly degraded from the original.
Conclusion
Snapchat applies significant compression to all photos and videos sent through its app. Image resolution is reduced by over 90% compared to a smartphone’s camera capabilities. This means most fine details are lost, and images appear more pixelated and blurry, especially if recirculated multiple times. Snapchat’s compression is universal and mandatory for all users. Those wanting to retain original image quality should avoid sending images through Snapchat.
| Original photo resolution | Snapchat resolution | Percent reduction |
|---|---|---|
| 12MP | 1MP | 92% |
| 8MP | 0.5MP | 94% |