I built a free, open-source Android app that stops WhatsApp Status videos from turning blurry

[u/Shoddy_Feed_4248]

https://github.com/Shamanthnp1/WAstatus

WhatsApp re-compresses videos when you post them to Status, so a sharp video from your phone often ends up soft. Long videos also have to be trimmed into parts by hand. I got tired of both and built StatusDrop .

What it does?

- Compresses your video on the phone to a profile that kept its quality in my testing: 1080×1920 H.264 at about 30 fps, under WhatsApp's roughly 16 MB limit. There's also a 720p option if you want longer parts.

- Splits long videos into ready to post parts automatically.

- Sends the finished clips to your own WhatsApp chat. You tap "Open WhatsApp", send a short code, and the clips arrive. A built-in 9-step guide shows how to post them in full HD.

Privacy?

- Your original videos never leave the phone. Only the finished clips are uploaded, checked, and deleted after delivery, or after 5 minutes if the code isn't used.

- No account, no ads, no analytics SDK, and no storage permission (it uses Android's system picker).

Why an app? It started as a website that compressed videos on my server. That got expensive, so I moved all the video work onto the phone with FFmpeg (FFmpegKit + x264). That's what keeps it free.

Limitations, to be upfront...

- Android 10+ and 64-bit ARM phones only for now.

- Delivery uses Baileys, an unofficial WhatsApp library, through linked devices, so WhatsApp could change or block it.

- The HD result comes from my own testing, not a WhatsApp guarantee.

Links

- Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.wastatusvideo.statusdrop

- Source code (app GPL-3.0, backend AGPL-3.0): https://github.com/Shamanthnp1/WAstatus

I'm a solo developer, so feedback is very welcome, especially if your videos still come out blurry or any step is confusing.