Wi-Fi bulk: raise image-prep budget so real photos clear the 64 KiB AWDL threshold

Image prep downscaled every photo to 448 px and force-compressed to a
45 KB byte budget, so a typical camera photo landed ~40 KB — below
TransportConfig.wifiBulkMinPayloadBytes (64 KiB). WifiBulkPolicy.shouldOffer
requires payloadBytes > 64 KiB, so the Wi-Fi bulk (AWDL) data plane never
triggered in production even when it worked on-device: real photos always
fell back to BLE fragmentation.

Raise the prep budget so genuinely detailed photos land well above 64 KiB
while staying under the 512 KiB FileTransferLimits.maxImageBytes hard cap:
  - defaultMaxDimension 448 -> 1024 px
  - compressionQuality 0.82 -> 0.85
  - targetImageBytes 45 KB -> 200 KB (a ceiling, not a target to hit)

Measured on a representative photo-like image: ~40 KB before -> ~190 KB
after, crossing the 64 KiB offer threshold while remaining ~2.6x under the
hard cap.

Because the raised dimension makes near-incompressible inputs (e.g. full-
frame noise) able to exceed maxImageBytes at the quality floor, prep now
downscales-and-retries until the payload fits the hard cap, so a send can
never fail with imageTooLarge on pathological input (it couldn't at 448 px).
Also de-dupes the previously copy-pasted per-platform encodeJPEG into one
shared helper.

Residual limitation: prep is not recipient-capability-aware. Images are
prepared at this fidelity regardless of whether the recipient supports
Wi-Fi bulk, so BLE-only peers and public broadcasts now carry ~190 KB
images too (still within the existing 512 KiB image cap). Making prep
choose fidelity per-recipient would need capability plumbing into the prep
pipeline and doesn't help public broadcasts, so it's deferred.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Fable 5 <noreply@anthropic.com>

bitchat/Features/media/ImageUtils.swift

@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import BitFoundation
 import Foundation
 import ImageIO
 import UniformTypeIdentifiers
@@ -13,11 +14,28 @@ enum ImageUtilsError: Error {
 }
 
 enum ImageUtils {
-    private static let compressionQuality: CGFloat = 0.82
+    private static let compressionQuality: CGFloat = 0.85
-    private static let targetImageBytes: Int = 45_000
+    // Upper bound for the compressed JPEG. This is only a ceiling: the encoder
+    // keeps whatever a photo naturally weighs at `defaultMaxDimension` and
+    // `compressionQuality`, and only steps quality down when a payload would
+    // exceed this budget. It stays well under `FileTransferLimits.maxImageBytes`
+    // (512 KiB) so the BLE path never overruns its cap.
+    //
+    // Wi-Fi bulk relevance: the old 45 KB / 448 px budget crushed every photo
+    // to ~40 KB — below `TransportConfig.wifiBulkMinPayloadBytes` (64 KiB) — so
+    // `WifiBulkPolicy.shouldOffer` never fired and the AWDL data plane was dead
+    // in production. A genuinely detailed photo at `defaultMaxDimension` now
+    // weighs well over 64 KiB, so it becomes Wi-Fi-bulk eligible to a capable
+    // direct peer while still riding BLE fragmentation for everyone else.
+    private static let targetImageBytes: Int = 200_000
     private static let maxSourceImageBytes: Int = 10 * 1024 * 1024
+    // Longest-side ceiling for shared photos. 448 px was thumbnail-tier and
+    // (together with the tiny byte budget) forced every photo below the Wi-Fi
+    // bulk threshold. 1024 px keeps a shared photo legible and lets detailed
+    // images clear 64 KiB, without approaching the 512 KiB hard cap.
+    static let defaultMaxDimension: CGFloat = 1024
 
-    static func processImage(at url: URL, maxDimension: CGFloat = 448, outputDirectory: URL? = nil) throws -> URL {
+    static func processImage(at url: URL, maxDimension: CGFloat = defaultMaxDimension, outputDirectory: URL? = nil) throws -> URL {
         try validateImageSource(at: url)
 
         let data = try Data(contentsOf: url)
@@ -47,34 +65,33 @@ enum ImageUtils {
     }
 
     #if os(iOS)
-    static func processImage(_ image: UIImage, maxDimension: CGFloat = 448, outputDirectory: URL? = nil) throws -> URL {
+    static func processImage(_ image: UIImage, maxDimension: CGFloat = defaultMaxDimension, outputDirectory: URL? = nil) throws -> URL {
         return try autoreleasepool {
-            // Scale the image first
+            var dimension = maxDimension
-            let scaled = scaledImage(image, maxDimension: maxDimension)
+            var jpegData: Data?
-
+            // Downscale-and-compress until the payload fits the hard image cap.
+            // A normal photo converges on the first pass; this loop only kicks
+            // in for near-incompressible inputs (e.g. full-frame noise) that
+            // would otherwise overrun `maxImageBytes` at the raised dimension.
+            while true {
+                let scaled = scaledImage(image, maxDimension: dimension)
                 // Get CGImage from UIImage - this is the key to stripping metadata
                 guard let cgImage = scaled.cgImage else {
                     throw ImageUtilsError.encodingFailed
                 }
-
+                guard let data = compressToBudget(cgImage) else {
-            // Use CGImageDestination to encode without metadata (same as macOS)
-            var quality = compressionQuality
-            guard var jpegData = encodeJPEG(from: cgImage, quality: quality) else {
                     throw ImageUtilsError.encodingFailed
                 }
-
+                jpegData = data
-            // Compress to target size
+                if data.count <= FileTransferLimits.maxImageBytes || dimension <= minRetryDimension {
-            while jpegData.count > targetImageBytes && quality > 0.3 {
+                    break
-                quality -= 0.1
-                autoreleasepool {
-                    if let next = encodeJPEG(from: cgImage, quality: quality) {
-                        jpegData = next
-                    }
                 }
+                dimension = (dimension * dimensionRetryFactor).rounded(.down)
             }
+            guard let finalData = jpegData else { throw ImageUtilsError.encodingFailed }
 
             let outputURL = try makeOutputURL(outputDirectory: outputDirectory)
-            try jpegData.write(to: outputURL, options: .atomic)
+            try finalData.write(to: outputURL, options: .atomic)
             return outputURL
         }
     }
@@ -93,31 +110,16 @@ enum ImageUtils {
         UIGraphicsEndImageContext()
         return rendered ?? image
     }
-
-    // Shared EXIF-stripping JPEG encoder for both iOS and macOS
-    private static func encodeJPEG(from cgImage: CGImage, quality: CGFloat) -> Data? {
-        guard let data = CFDataCreateMutable(nil, 0) else {
-            return nil
-        }
-        guard let destination = CGImageDestinationCreateWithData(data, UTType.jpeg.identifier as CFString, 1, nil) else {
-            return nil
-        }
-        // Security: Strip ALL metadata (EXIF, GPS, TIFF, IPTC, XMP)
-        // By only specifying compression quality and no metadata keys,
-        // we ensure a clean JPEG with no privacy-leaking information
-        let options: [CFString: Any] = [
-            kCGImageDestinationLossyCompressionQuality: quality
-        ]
-        CGImageDestinationAddImage(destination, cgImage, options as CFDictionary)
-        guard CGImageDestinationFinalize(destination) else {
-            return nil
-        }
-        return data as Data
-    }
     #else
-    static func processImage(_ image: NSImage, maxDimension: CGFloat = 448, outputDirectory: URL? = nil) throws -> URL {
+    static func processImage(_ image: NSImage, maxDimension: CGFloat = defaultMaxDimension, outputDirectory: URL? = nil) throws -> URL {
         return try autoreleasepool {
-            let scaled = scaledImage(image, maxDimension: maxDimension)
+            var dimension = maxDimension
+            var jpegData: Data?
+            // See the iOS path: normal photos converge immediately; the loop
+            // only shrinks further for near-incompressible inputs so the
+            // output never overruns `maxImageBytes`.
+            while true {
+                let scaled = scaledImage(image, maxDimension: dimension)
                 guard let inputCG = scaled.cgImage(forProposedRect: nil, context: nil, hints: nil) else {
                     throw ImageUtilsError.encodingFailed
                 }
@@ -139,20 +141,18 @@ enum ImageUtils {
                 guard let cgImage = context.makeImage() else {
                     throw ImageUtilsError.encodingFailed
                 }
-            var quality = compressionQuality
+                guard let data = compressToBudget(cgImage) else {
-            guard var jpegData = encodeJPEG(from: cgImage, quality: quality) else {
                     throw ImageUtilsError.encodingFailed
                 }
-            while jpegData.count > targetImageBytes && quality > 0.3 {
+                jpegData = data
-                quality -= 0.1
+                if data.count <= FileTransferLimits.maxImageBytes || dimension <= minRetryDimension {
-                autoreleasepool {
+                    break
-                    if let next = encodeJPEG(from: cgImage, quality: quality) {
-                        jpegData = next
-                    }
                 }
+                dimension = (dimension * dimensionRetryFactor).rounded(.down)
             }
+            guard let finalData = jpegData else { throw ImageUtilsError.encodingFailed }
             let outputURL = try makeOutputURL(outputDirectory: outputDirectory)
-            try jpegData.write(to: outputURL, options: .atomic)
+            try finalData.write(to: outputURL, options: .atomic)
             return outputURL
         }
     }
@@ -172,6 +172,31 @@ enum ImageUtils {
         scaledImage.unlockFocus()
         return scaledImage
     }
+    #endif
+
+    // When even the quality floor can't get an image under the byte budget,
+    // shrink the longest side by this factor and re-encode. Bounded below so
+    // the retry loop always terminates.
+    private static let dimensionRetryFactor: CGFloat = 0.75
+    private static let minRetryDimension: CGFloat = 256
+
+    /// Encodes `cgImage` to JPEG, stepping quality down toward
+    /// `targetImageBytes`. Shared by both platforms.
+    private static func compressToBudget(_ cgImage: CGImage) -> Data? {
+        var quality = compressionQuality
+        guard var jpegData = encodeJPEG(from: cgImage, quality: quality) else {
+            return nil
+        }
+        while jpegData.count > targetImageBytes && quality > 0.3 {
+            quality -= 0.1
+            autoreleasepool {
+                if let next = encodeJPEG(from: cgImage, quality: quality) {
+                    jpegData = next
+                }
+            }
+        }
+        return jpegData
+    }
 
     // Shared EXIF-stripping JPEG encoder for both iOS and macOS
     private static func encodeJPEG(from cgImage: CGImage, quality: CGFloat) -> Data? {
@@ -193,7 +218,6 @@ enum ImageUtils {
         }
         return data as Data
     }
-    #endif
 
     private static func makeOutputURL(outputDirectory: URL? = nil) throws -> URL {
         let formatter = DateFormatter()

bitchatTests/ChatMediaPreparationTests.swift

@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
 import BitFoundation
+import CoreGraphics
 import Foundation
+import ImageIO
 import Testing
+import UniformTypeIdentifiers
 #if os(iOS)
 import UIKit
 #else
@@ -58,6 +61,25 @@ struct ChatMediaPreparationTests {
         #expect(prepared.packet.fileSize == UInt64(prepared.packet.content.count))
         #expect(prepared.packet.encode() != nil)
     }
+
+    /// A genuinely detailed photo must prepare to more than
+    /// `TransportConfig.wifiBulkMinPayloadBytes` (64 KiB); otherwise the Wi-Fi
+    /// bulk (AWDL) data plane is never offered in production because
+    /// `WifiBulkPolicy.shouldOffer` requires `payloadBytes > 64 KiB`.
+    /// Regression guard for the ~40 KB over-compression gap (PR #1385).
+    @Test
+    func prepareImagePacket_detailedImageExceedsWifiBulkThreshold() throws {
+        let sourceURL = try makeDetailedImageURL(dimension: 1200)
+        defer { try? FileManager.default.removeItem(at: sourceURL) }
+
+        let prepared = try ChatMediaPreparation.prepareImagePacket(from: sourceURL)
+        defer { try? FileManager.default.removeItem(at: prepared.outputURL) }
+
+        // Comfortably above the 64 KiB Wi-Fi bulk offer threshold...
+        #expect(prepared.packet.content.count > TransportConfig.wifiBulkMinPayloadBytes)
+        // ...and still within the hard image cap for the BLE path.
+        #expect(prepared.packet.content.count <= FileTransferLimits.maxImageBytes)
+    }
 }
 
 private func makeTemporaryImageURL() throws -> URL {
@@ -87,6 +109,50 @@ private func makeTemporaryImageURL() throws -> URL {
     return url
 }
 
+/// Builds a random-noise PNG. Noise is incompressible, so the JPEG the prep
+/// pipeline produces stays large — a faithful stand-in for a detailed photo,
+/// unlike a flat solid-color image which would compress to a few KB regardless
+/// of dimension.
+private func makeDetailedImageURL(dimension: Int) throws -> URL {
+    let width = dimension
+    let height = dimension
+    let bytesPerPixel = 4
+    let bytesPerRow = width * bytesPerPixel
+
+    var pixels = [UInt8](repeating: 0, count: bytesPerRow * height)
+    for index in pixels.indices {
+        pixels[index] = UInt8.random(in: 0...255)
+    }
+
+    let colorSpace = CGColorSpace(name: CGColorSpace.sRGB) ?? CGColorSpaceCreateDeviceRGB()
+    guard let context = CGContext(
+        data: &pixels,
+        width: width,
+        height: height,
+        bitsPerComponent: 8,
+        bytesPerRow: bytesPerRow,
+        space: colorSpace,
+        bitmapInfo: CGImageAlphaInfo.premultipliedLast.rawValue
+    ), let cgImage = context.makeImage() else {
+        throw ChatMediaPreparationTestError.imageEncodingFailed
+    }
+
+    let url = FileManager.default.temporaryDirectory.appendingPathComponent("detailed-\(UUID().uuidString).png")
+    guard let destination = CGImageDestinationCreateWithURL(
+        url as CFURL,
+        UTType.png.identifier as CFString,
+        1,
+        nil
+    ) else {
+        throw ChatMediaPreparationTestError.imageEncodingFailed
+    }
+    CGImageDestinationAddImage(destination, cgImage, nil)
+    guard CGImageDestinationFinalize(destination) else {
+        throw ChatMediaPreparationTestError.imageEncodingFailed
+    }
+    return url
+}
+
 private enum ChatMediaPreparationTestError: Error {
     case imageEncodingFailed
 }