Twitter is rolling out support for 4K images on its Android and iOS apps. Users can now post high-resolution images to their feeds, making things better for photo-centric creators on the platform and better-looking for users in general. Twitter started testing the 4K images feature for a select group of users back in March.
The platform had treated photos more casually prior to the test. It only allowed photos of up to 5MB on its apps, which made the platform faster and less data-hungry but prevented more users from showing their image content in very high quality. The new test promised a new way for users to view photos and videos on Twitter by extending this limit.
Twitter says users can now enable the feature for themselves on Android and iOS. To do so, they should open their Data Usage settings on their app. Under 'High-quality images' and 'High-quality image uploads,' users can set when the app handles high-resolution images — whether only on a Wi-Fi connection or via mobile networks too. Users who enable the feature can then upload or view photos in full 4K resolution straight from the Twitter app. Additionally, images will no longer be automatically cropped.
When To User Twitter's 4K Images Feature
Having the best possible image quality is always a big advantage for those who upload and consume media on the app regularly. For photographers, especially those who are always on the go, the feature will help them connect and share the best photos with their followers, even during a shoot. Artists can also share the best resolution for their illustrations on the platform. Even for casual users, it will help promote Twitter as a better platform for sharing photos than before. Everyone, meanwhile, can now enjoy viewing the content of others in much better quality.
However, there are also a few reasons to keep the feature either limited to Wi-Fi or off entirely. For one, 4K media takes a bigger toll on a phone's data usage, regardless of whether it's downloading or uploading the photo. With Twitter making videos accessible as well, data use can quickly accumulate. Finally, some artists might not prefer to share high-resolution versions of their artworks on social media. The platform's image compression can help these artists keep their full-resolution images on their own websites or premium subscription platforms.
Source: Twitter