Google Photos now has the ability to convert your photos into Ultra HDR images.

Google Photos now has the ability to convert your photos into Ultra HDR images.

      Joe Maring / Digital Trends

      Google Photos has begun the rollout of a new feature that allows you to transform standard photos into Ultra HDR images, although it isn't available to everyone yet. These "High Dynamic Range" photos capture a broader spectrum of brightness levels, yielding images with enhanced detail and color depth.

      According to Android Authority, this feature has been concealed within the app for some time and has recently started to surface for a limited number of users. To appreciate the HDR effects, you must view your photo on an HDR-compatible display. Many smartphones, such as the Google Pixel 9a, Samsung Galaxy S25, or OnePlus 13R, are equipped with such displays, allowing you to enjoy your enhanced photos directly on your device. If your screen is not HDR-enabled, you can still convert your photos and later view the results on a different display.

      To verify if you have access to this new feature, ensure that your Google Photos app is updated to version 7.24.0.747539053. The Ultra HDR option should be located in the “Adjust” menu, alongside various sliders for contrast, brightness, and tone. If you only see “HDR Effect,” it indicates that the update has not yet been applied to your app. This earlier effect might include “HDR” in its name but only modifies brightness and shadows to create an HDR-like appearance, while the actual photo remains in SDR.

      The new feature operates differently—it adds a “gain map” to your photo that retains additional brightness information for HDR displays to enhance the dynamic range of your image. If you possess an HDR display and wish to compare the differences, Android Authority has shared before and after photos on GitHub.

      However, it's important to note that this process is distinct from capturing a photo in true HDR. When you take an HDR photo, your phone captures three images at different brightness levels and merges them. Therefore, Google is not creating a genuine HDR photo from your image but instead modifying it and embedding more data so that HDR displays can utilize it more effectively.

      Details on how Google generates the additional information for the gain maps remain unclear, as well as the full impact of this conversion feature on your photos. If you decide to explore this feature at the moment, it may be wise to duplicate your images first to avoid losing or permanently modifying the originals.

      Willow Roberts has been a Computing Writer at Digital Trends for a year and has been writing for almost a decade. She has a…

      Google Photos will introduce a hidden watermark to your AI-Edited images

      Google's investment in AI is well-known, and it becomes apparent upon launching any of its software products. The Google Photos app has been one of the first beneficiaries of this AI integration. Now, transparency is on the horizon.

      Do you remember Magic Editor, your entry point to AI-enhanced editing in the Google Photos app? Going forward, images that have been modified using the Reimagine tool within Magic Editor will include an invisible watermark.

      Google Photos is receiving new sorting features to reduce clutter

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      With this update, Google has enhanced sorting features and grouped them under "Photos view," which replaces the previous "personalize your grid" option. Android Authority first noticed these new settings, which include options to "show content from other apps."

      This iOS 18 feature shares your photos with Apple. How to disable it

      A relatively new feature from Apple significantly enhances visual search, though it also raises privacy concerns, as noted by developer Jeff Johnson.

      With the release of iOS 18 and macOS 15, Apple has rolled out Enhanced Visual Search (EVS) in the Photos app. This new technology builds upon the existing Visual Look Up (VLU) feature, allowing your device to identify landmarks and points of interest within your photos. As a result, it enhances visual search capabilities, enabling you to issue prompts like “Show me photos from the beach” or “Show me photos of sunsets.”

Google Photos now has the ability to convert your photos into Ultra HDR images. Google Photos now has the ability to convert your photos into Ultra HDR images. Google Photos now has the ability to convert your photos into Ultra HDR images. Google Photos now has the ability to convert your photos into Ultra HDR images. Google Photos now has the ability to convert your photos into Ultra HDR images. Google Photos now has the ability to convert your photos into Ultra HDR images.

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Google Photos now has the ability to convert your photos into Ultra HDR images.

Google Photos is introducing a new feature that can enhance your regular photos on HDR screens.