Instagram will be able to display HDR photographs taken with Samsung’s new Galaxy S24 phones, the two companies have announced. “Every photo and video you take, or view, will be shown in its full range of color and contrast, from the moment you snap the content, to the moment you post,” said Samsung’s VP of Intelligent Imaging, Dr. Hamid Sheikh, onstage at the S24 launch event. “In fact the Galaxy S24 series will be the first ever to have HDR enabled for photos on Instagram.” The app already supports HDR videos.
HDR support was one of a handful of social media photography-focused features Samsung announced for its new phones, the Galaxy S24, S24 Plus, and S24 Ultra. The smartphone manufacturer also announced that Instagram, as well as rival Snapchat, would be able to make use of Samsung’s native camera features when taking photos directly from the social media apps.
Image: Samsung
Support for posting HDR photos on Instagram being announced onstage.
These features include low-light “Nightography” photographs, “Super HDR,” and video stabilization. Engadget notes that video stabilization will need to be enabled in the native camera app before it’ll be available through Instagram and Snapchat, but otherwise this means Instagram and Snapchat should offer a much more native-feeling shooting experience for S24 device owners.
While more of Samsung’s camera features will be available through Instagram and Snapchat’s third-party cameras with the Galaxy S24, Engadget notes that you’ll still want to stick to the phone’s first-party apps to benefit from their AI-focused editing features, which can add background blur, remove reflections, and even move subjects around a frame.
The Galaxy S24 might not be the only device that’s able to view and post HDR photos, however. Meta spokesperson Cullen Heaney tells The Verge that the platform is “working with additional Android partners (and iOS) to expand the availability of the feature” and allow other users to view photos in HDR.
Update January 18th, 12:55PM ET: Added a statement from Meta.