Issue
Images sent via Twilio Conversations (such as two-way texting) appear blurred, degraded, or corrupted when retrieved from the Media API and stored in a backend web application or storage bucket. The original image sent from the device is clear, but the retrieved media exhibits a significant drop in quality.
Product
Twilio Conversations Classic
Resolution
Twilio Conversations performs absolutely no image processing, compression, or alteration during media upload or retrieval. Any media retrieved directly from Twilio's backend retains its original uploaded quality.
If image degradation is occurring, it is likely being introduced by backend code either before upload or after retrieval. To isolate and resolve the issue:
Verify Twilio Media Integrity: Fetch the raw media details directly from Twilio using the Conversations REST API to ensure the issue is not occurring during transmission.
curl -u "<account_sid>:<auth_token>" -G "https://mcs.us1.twilio.com/v1/Services/<chat_service_sid>/Media/<Media_SID>"Inspect the Raw Image: Use the
content_direct_temporaryURL provided in the API response to view the raw image exactly as it is stored on Twilio.Check Backend Image Processing: If the raw image retrieved from Twilio is clear, review the web application's image handling pipeline. Backend tools (such as the PHP GD library) often automatically process, compress, or encode images, which can leave a fingerprint on the file and degrade its quality. Ensure that no unintended compression or encoding is applied to the images during the retrieval and storage process.