WhatsApp for Xperia 5 (2019)

WhatsApp's built-in in-app camera heavily compresses photos, which looks especially poor next to what the Xperia 5's sensors can actually do. For sharp results, take the photo with Sony's Camera (Photo Pro) app first, then in WhatsApp tap the attach (paperclip) icon, choose Gallery, and pick the photo so the full-quality file is sent instead of a live capture. You can also reduce compression by opening WhatsApp > Settings > Storage and data > Media upload quality and setting it to HD. See how others solved this on Reddit

The Xperia 5 shipped on Android 9 and received updates up to Android 11, and it still handles WhatsApp messaging, calls and media fine. Be aware that WhatsApp periodically raises its minimum supported Android version, so confirm the app still updates from the Play Store on your device. Keep a couple of GB of free storage and clear WhatsApp's cache via Settings > Apps > WhatsApp > Storage if it feels sluggish. If the Play Store eventually blocks updates, you'll need a newer phone to keep getting security and feature patches. See how others solved this on Reddit

WhatsApp calls run over your data connection, not your carrier's voice (VoLTE) network, so dropped calls usually point to a weak data signal or aggressive battery optimization rather than VoLTE. Go to Settings > Apps > WhatsApp > Battery (or App battery usage) and set it to Unrestricted, and turn off STAMINA/battery saver during a call. If 4G keeps dropping in your area, you can also try toggling Airplane mode off and on, or changing the preferred network type under Settings > Network & internet > Mobile network > Preferred network type. See how others solved this on Reddit

Those badge dots come from Android's notification system, not from WhatsApp. To remove them everywhere, long-press the home screen, tap Home settings, and turn off Allow notification dots (this also lives under Settings > Apps & notifications > Notifications). To hide them for WhatsApp only, go to Settings > Apps > WhatsApp > Notifications and turn off the badge/dot option there. See how others solved this on Reddit

Sony's STAMINA battery mode and Adaptive Battery aggressively put background apps to sleep, which is the usual cause of late WhatsApp alerts. Go to Settings > Apps > WhatsApp > Battery and choose Unrestricted, then open Settings > Battery and turn off STAMINA mode (or exclude WhatsApp from it). Finally, check that notifications are fully enabled under Settings > Apps > WhatsApp > Notifications and that Do Not Disturb isn't silencing the app. See how others solved this on Reddit