WhatsApp videos sent from old Android phones to iPhones end up blurry for some

If you’ve recently tried sending a video from your aging Google Pixel 4 or OnePlus 5 device to a friend with an iPhone, only to have them receive what looks like a low-res abstract painting, you’re not alone. A growing number of Android users, especially those with older models, are pulling their hair out as videos sent via WhatsApp arrive on iPhones looking more like digital smudges than anything else.

The issue seems to have hit out of nowhere, leaving Android users baffled and iPhone recipients frustrated. The problem? When Android users send videos, their iPhone friends end up seeing a blurry, frozen mess. Audio might still play, but the visuals are about as clear as a foggy morning. This adds to another frustrating issue affecting link previews on Android.

What’s really strange is that Android-to-Android video sharing seems to work just fine, with the videos playing perfectly on other Android devices. And even weirder, iPhone users can watch the same videos without issue if they use WhatsApp Web instead of the mobile app. But when it comes to receiving videos on their iPhones, it’s like trying to watch a movie through frosted glass.

So, what’s going on? It appears to be a compatibility issue between older Android devices and iPhones, likely rooted in the way WhatsApp compresses videos. This glitch has Pixel users — especially those with the Pixel 3/3a and 4/4a series — scrambling for answers. They’ve tried everything from clearing caches to reinstalling the app, but for many, the videos still refuse to cooperate.

But all hope isn’t lost. While we wait for WhatsApp to sort out this cross-platform communication breakdown, there are a potential workaround that might save you from sending blurry videos. Instead of sending your video through WhatsApp as a regular attachment, try sending it as a document. This method skips WhatsApp’s video compression, allowing the video to retain its original quality.

If you’re at your computer, consider using WhatsApp Web to send videos. iPhone users on the other end report that videos sent this way arrive crystal clear, sidestepping the blur problem entirely.

While these workarounds aren’t perfect, they’re better than nothing as WhatsApp hopefully works on a fix. In the meantime, Android users might find themselves looking for alternative ways to share their favorite videos with iPhone friends — or maybe just hoping that WhatsApp gets its act together sooner rather than later.