Table of Contents
Problem Overview
A significant number of Samsung phone users—spanning models from the Galaxy S10 to the latest S25 Ultra—are experiencing a negative issue where videos shared via WhatsApp become glitched or unwatchable. The glitches often appear as visual artifacts or distortions, sometimes affecting only part of the video (like the right side), and are unique to WhatsApp. Original videos play fine locally and work when shared through other apps like Telegram or Samsung’s Quick Share, ruling out hardware or camera faults.
Key Observations:
- The issue started after a recent WhatsApp update.
- Affected devices range from older Samsungs (A50, S10) to the newest S25 Ultra.
- The problem does not occur when sharing videos via other apps or platforms.
- Some users report a green line or scrambled visuals on the video.
- Selecting “HD quality” in WhatsApp helps some users, but not all.
- Reinstalling WhatsApp or changing camera settings rarely resolves the issue.
Root Cause
The evidence points to a compatibility problem between WhatsApp’s video compression/encoding and Samsung’s video files. This is likely triggered or worsened by a recent WhatsApp update, as the issue began appearing suddenly across multiple device generations and Android versions. Samsung and WhatsApp support forums confirm that this is a known bug, and a fix is reportedly in development, but no permanent solution is available yet.
Actionable Solutions & Workarounds
Until WhatsApp releases an official fix, here are the most effective workarounds:
Solution 1: Send Videos as Documents on WhatsApp
Instead of attaching videos as media, use the “Document” option. This bypasses WhatsApp’s compression and preserves the original quality.
Steps:
- Tap the attachment (paperclip) icon in a chat.
- Select “Document” instead of “Gallery.”
- Browse and select your video file.
- Send.
Downside: File size limit (100MB per video), and recipients must download the file to view.
Solution 2: Use HD Quality Setting (If Available)
When sending a video, look for the “HD” icon at the top of the editing screen and select “HD quality” before sending.
Note: This must be done for each video; it’s not a global setting.
Limitation: Not all users see improvement, and WhatsApp’s “HD” is still limited to 720p.
- Use apps like Telegram, Samsung Quick Share, or Google Photos to share videos.
- You can also upload videos to a cloud service (Google Drive, OneDrive) and send the link.
Solution 4: Wait for Official Fix
WhatsApp and Samsung are aware of the issue and are working on a fix. Keep your apps and phone OS updated to receive the patch as soon as it’s released.
Supplementary Materials
Official Workaround Confirmation
“We’re aware of the issue and are working on fixing it in a future update of WhatsApp.” — Samsung Community Moderator
This WhatsApp video glitch on Samsung phones is a frustrating, widespread issue caused by a recent update’s incompatibility with Samsung’s video encoding. While there’s no permanent fix yet, sending videos as documents, using HD mode, or sharing via other apps will preserve quality and avoid glitches. Stay tuned for updates from WhatsApp and Samsung, as a fix is reportedly in progress.
While this bug is undeniably annoying, the community has found reliable workarounds to keep your videos looking great until an official fix arrives. You’re not alone, and a resolution is on the horizon!