Fix problematic images from WhatsApp
WhatsApp is so convenient… but the hard stripping they perform on image files often causes issues when I use these images in Photoshop or InDesign. (The file cannot be opened or Unsupported file format). Other messaging systems also perform this stripping operation, generating what we call fake jpegs: WhatsApp isn’t the only one targeted!
Working around this issue isn’t complicated (open the image with the system viewer and save it as a jpg), but when there’s a burst of images to re-encode, spending 5 minutes performing the same operation 20 times isn’t acceptable to me. Might as well spend 5 minutes making a small tool that cleans up images and brings them back to standard jpg.
The solution: WhatsApp Image Fixer
To solve this problem without having to ask the client to resend the image through another channel, I created a simple and effective tool: WhatsApp Image Fixer.
This tool locally re-encodes the image in standard JPEG format, making it compatible with Photoshop, InDesign, and most professional software.
How does it work?
Go to tools.mourey.info/tools/whatsapp-image-fixer.
The interface is minimalist: you drop your image or click to select it, and the tool takes care of re-encoding it. Once processing is complete, the image downloads automatically.
Security first
The strong point of this tool is that it doesn’t require any file upload to a server. All processing happens locally in your browser via the JavaScript Canvas API. Your images never leave your device.
Tool limitations
- If your browser cannot decode the source file, the tool won’t be able to repair it.
- Original metadata (EXIF, IPTC) is not preserved.
- EXIF orientation may not be preserved depending on the browser and source file.
One more tool in the collection
This tool joins the collection already available on tools.mourey.info, which also includes:
- Background-remover for removing image backgrounds with different AI models
- Password-generator for generating secure passwords in Base64 and Hexadecimal