- Google Photos adds ultra HDR feature to certain Android phones
- This allows you to increase photo dynamism in a few taps
- It can be applied to regular photos even after taking their
If you have taken a lot of photos but you want them to be jazz with a little HDR magic, you are lucky. Indeed, Google has just added the possibility of improving your images with ultra HDR effects on Google Photos. Better still, HDR modifications can be applied to regular photos, even if you have already taken and uploaded.
As Android Authority noticed, the functionality has deployed to a number of Google Photos users in recent days. It cannot yet be used by everyone, and it is not clear if it is limited to the best Android phones or will soon be more widely available.
Google Photos’ Ultra HDR mode allows you to take photos with a wider range of colors than standard images. This can stimulate the dynamism of the image, but you will generally need a device with an HDR screen to fully appreciate the effect.
However, the right thing about Google’s ultra HDR functionality is that it is compatible behind, so your photos will come back to the use of standard color ranges on regular Android screens.
It also works in the other direction. Google Photos seems to have added the possibility of converting normal photos into HDR equivalents, increasing their saturation and helping them much more than before. This means that it is not necessary to remember to take the photos in HDR mode in the first place.
Best photos in HDR
The ultra HDR mode had been spotted in September 2024, but it was not entirely functional at the time. Now, with version 7.24.0.747539053 of the Google Photos application, it seems that it starts to deploy a range of Android users.
Once it is more widely available, you will find the functionality in the Adjustment section of the Google Photos editor. There, you can change the strength of the HDR effect using a cursor. It is defined to replace the HDR Effect Option currently on Google Photos.
You can see an overview of the Ultra HDR effect on Github. Make sure you see it on an HDR compatible device to be able to observe it correctly.
However, there is no reliable indication from the moment when the functionality could happen for everyone. I hope that we will not have to wait too long before it unfolds.
