Many iPhone users have observed that when they record a high-definition video on their iPhone and send it to an Android user via text message, the video arrives in a significantly degraded state, appearing very blurry and in low resolution.

The fuzzy, pixelated image at the top of this article serves as a thumbnail illustrating a video of a Japanese garden scene with small waterfalls and plants, initially recorded in high resolution on an iPhone 14 Pro. However, upon reaching the Android user's device (a new Samsung Galaxy), the video became so pixelated, low-quality, and blurry that the scene was nearly unrecognizable.

If you use either an iPhone or an Android, you might be curious about why videos sent from an iPhone to an Android appear as low-quality, highly pixelated messes, and what you can do about it. This article aims to address these concerns.

Why HD iPhone Videos Look Terrible When Sent to Android Users

When HD videos are transmitted via SMS or MMS, the standard protocol for texting between iPhones and Androids, these protocols heavily compress the video (or image) to conserve bandwidth. This compression often results in a significant loss of video quality. For instance, a 4K video sent from an iPhone may arrive on an Android device looking like a comically bad, highly pixelated, and almost indecipherable video. Essentially, the aggressive compression required for sending multimedia over MMS or SMS is the culprit.

It's crucial to understand that Android devices use RCS, MMS, and SMS, which differ from the iMessage protocol used by iPhones. When an iPhone user sends a message to an Android user, the MMS or SMS protocol is utilized instead of iMessage, leading to significant video compression and lower quality.

What about Low Quality Image Mode on the iPhone?

This setting is rarely relevant for most iPhone users, but some may have inadvertently or deliberately enabled Low Quality Image Mode on their iPhone, which can degrade the quality of media sent from the device. However, this mode only affects images and photos, so even if it's disabled, HD videos sent from an iPhone to an Android will still appear in low quality.

How Can I Send HD Videos from iPhone to Android?

If you're using an iPhone and wish to send a high-resolution video to an Android user, your best option is to use a third-party messaging app or a third-party cloud service.

Messaging apps such as WhatsApp, Signal, Facebook Messenger, Instagram, and Telegram are compatible across both iPhone and Android platforms and support high-resolution videos and photos.

You can also use third-party cloud apps like Dropbox, Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive, Box, and others to share HD videos.

Is There a Fix on iPhone for This? What About RCS?

RCS, or Rich Communication Services, is a protocol intended to replace MMS and SMS for text messaging. RCS supports the sharing of high-quality media, including videos and photos.

Currently, iOS and iPhone do not support RCS, but this is expected to change soon.

Apple plans to introduce RCS support with iOS 18, scheduled for release in the fall of 2024 for all iPhone users with compatible devices. Adventurous users can install the iOS 18 beta now to access RCS support, though beta software is typically less stable than final versions. RCS will enable iPhone users to send high-quality, high-resolution videos and pictures to Android users, addressing the long-standing issue of low-quality video and media transmission from iPhone to Android.

Note that RCS is not a replacement for iMessage and does not offer the same level of encryption.

Now you understand why your HD iPhone videos appear in low quality on your family or friends' Android devices and what you can do about it. Will you wait for RCS support in iOS, or will you opt for a third-party messaging app in the meantime? The choice is yours!

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