How to Share a Long Screenshot Without Losing Quality
Long screenshots get blurry when sent through chat apps. Here's why, and how to send them at full resolution on iPhone.
You stitched a clean 1179×9000 image. You sent it in a chat. The other person got a blurry mess. Here's what happened and how to avoid it.
Why it gets blurry
Chat apps recompress images, and tall images get hit hardest: an app may reduce the dimensions or apply lossy compression. The limits vary by app, version, and sending mode; there is no single 4000–5000 px rule. Text becomes unreadable.
How to send at full quality
| App | Do this |
|---|---|
| iMessage | iOS 17: Settings → Messages; iOS 18: Settings → Apps → Messages → Low Quality Image Mode: off. For the original file, use AirDrop from Files |
| Send as Document (on iPhone: + → Document, then choose the saved file; labels may vary), not as a photo | |
| Send as File from the + menu, or choose "Original" when sending a photo | |
| Telegram | Send as File ("Send without compression") |
| Attach at "Actual Size" when prompted | |
| AirDrop | Save the PNG to Files, then AirDrop that file; Photos sharing options can change the format |
Keep the source right
- Save as PNG, not JPEG. Text screenshots compress badly as JPEG.
- Don't re-screenshot the stitched image; that captures only the pixels visible on your screen, rather than preserving the original image dimensions.
- If you must send as a regular photo, split the long image into two or three shorter ones first; each will be downscaled less.
Making a PDF instead
For receipts, records, or anything someone will print: open the long image in Photos → Share → Print → pinch outward on the preview → Share as PDF. Send the PDF as a document. Check that the print preview keeps all the content at a readable size; converting to PDF does not restore lost pixels or guarantee the receiving app leaves it unchanged.
About the stitcher
The app you use to stitch matters here too: some save as JPEG or downscale by default. LongShot, which I built, saves an original-width PNG without downscaling; the app you send it through can still change it. Picsew also offers PNG export.
Related
- How to Screenshot a Full Receipt or Order Page on iPhone
- How to Take a Long Screenshot of a Text Conversation on iPhone
- Tailor vs Picsew vs LongShot: Which iPhone Screenshot Stitcher Should You Use?
Sources checked: 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5
Something not working? Email me: longshotapp@163.com