Googleis pushing out a new update to its popular cloud-basedPhotosservice onAndroid, which introduces the ability to add an Ultra HDR effect to any existing photo in your library. This Ultra HDR effect can be adjusted via an intensity slider within the editing section of Google Photos, and it replaces the existing standard ‘HDR effect’ tool found within the app.
As perAndroid Authority(via @greyishere on Telegram) the feature is reportedly appearing for some users upon updating to the latest version 7.24.0.747539053 of the Google Photos app. That being said, not everyone has received the update quite yet, as the feature appears to be rolling out in part via a server-side update on Google’s end.
Google Photos
Google Photos is a cloud-centric digital gallery application that provides sorting and search options, editing tools, and 15GB of free starting storage.
What is Ultra HDR?
Ultra HDR is a digital format that improves image colors, highlights, and shadows
While theunder-the-hood detailssurrounding Ultra HDR and its implementation are rather technical, the main thing to note is that, as an image format, it provides a superior picture when compared to non-Ultra HDR images.
According toGoogle, “the Ultra HDR image format lets images store more information about the intensity of light, resulting in more detailed highlights and shadows and more intense colors.”
Conceptually similar to the HDR tech employed in video content (HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Vision, etc.), the end result of Ultra HDR photography is a more vivid and visually pleasing picture across the board. Landscapes appear more true-to-life, colors pop on screen, and there’s more separation between darker and lighter parts of a given image.
On Android, Google natively supports the Ultra HDR image format.
On Android, Google natively supports the Ultra HDR image format – the company introduced both capture and display support in 2023’s Android 14 platform release. Newer flagship handsets, including theGoogle Pixel 9 series, can shoot photos in Ultra HDR out of the box via thePixel Camera app.
You can share an Ultra HDR image with a non-Ultra HDR-compatible device, but you won’t be able to enjoy the enhanced details and picture quality unless your gadget supports Ultra HDR at both the platform level, and the hardware display panel level.
What is Ultra HDR? Everything you need to know about the new imaging format
Google tries to take photography into a whole new era with Ultra HDR. Here’s everything you need to know about the new image format.
How do I apply Ultra HDR to my existing photos?
The tool is tucked away within Google Photos' image editing menu
For the time being, Google’s new Ultra HDR editing tool appears to be available exclusively on Android-based devices – it’s unclear if and when the feature will arrive on Apple’siOSandiPadOSplatforms.
If you do own an Android phone or tablet, you can upgrade your existing photos with an Ultra HDR effect by following these steps:
It should be noted that the rollout of Google Photos' Ultra HDR editing tool appears to be at least partially reliant on a server-side update. This means that even if you’re running version 7.24.0.747539053 of the app, the option might not show up for you right away.
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