Samsung’s Galaxy S24 series made waves earlier this year with its array of exciting new features. One notable announcement came from Samsung and Instagram, revealing that the platform would now support the display of HDR photos captured on Galaxy S24 series smartphones, including the Galaxy S24, Galaxy S24 Plus, and Galaxy S24 Ultra.
Until recently, the ability to post HDR pictures on Instagram had been exclusive to the Galaxy S24 series. However, iPhone users can now join the party, as support for HDR Instagram photos is starting to appear on iOS devices.
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High dynamic range (HDR) Jpeg images contain additional data that allows for more brightness and color variation compared to standard Jpegs. Specifically, HDR Jpegs have an embedded gain map, which enables the image to showcase a wider range of brightness levels and optional expanded color detail.
When HDR Jpeg photos are viewed on compatible displays like recent flagship smartphones, Apple MacBooks, and Windows PCs with HDR monitors, people see images that can appear brighter and more vibrant.
While Instagram has supported HDR video since the iPhone 12, support for HDR photos is only just starting to roll out officially, initially limited to the Samsung Galaxy S24 series.
HDR Photos Now Supported for iPhones on Instagram
iPhone users now have the ability to upload HDR photos to Instagram from their device’s native iOS camera app. As discovered by photographer Greg Benz, compatible iPhones displaying an uploaded HDR photo will showcase it with Instagram’s full HDR quality.
According to Greg , unlike the Android counterpart, you don’t need the latest iPhone to upload and view HDR photos. If you have an iPhone 12 or newer model, you can upload or view HDR photos on Instagram.
In addition, iPhone users can view HDR photos uploaded to Instagram from other devices. This update provides Apple device owners with expanded creative possibilities when sharing their photos through the popular app.
Upload HDR Photos to Instagram from Your Desktop
For those without a recent iPhone or Samsung phone, HDR photos can still be uploaded and viewed properly on Instagram using a Chromium-based desktop browser such as Chrome or Brave. This means non-iPhone users can edit photos in programs like Adobe Lightroom and showcase them on Instagram with HDR effects.
However, there are some important limitations.
When uploading from a desktop, log into Instagram.com and click the Create button. Drag and drop your HDR photo file to upload it.
Instagram will process qualifying HDR images accordingly. Note that filters should not be applied during this process and that non-Chromium browsers are currently incompatible.
