Samsung is making it easier to turn off one of the Galaxy S24 Series’ best features.
In a move that will come as a welcome relief to some Galaxy S24-series owners, Samsung has made it easier than ever to disable one of its best exclusive display features.
As recently discovered by Android Authority, Starting with Samsung’s One UI 7 release, expected next year, users will be able to deactivate “Super HDR” feature system-wide by flipping a new switch in the Advanced Features settings. Setting the Super HDR function to “off” will prevent any apps from displaying Super HDR content, not just the Samsung Gallery app, as was previously the case.
Why Disable Super HDR?
Sometimes, users may want to turn off Super HDR because they don’t want their screens to become uncomfortably bright when viewing specific images. This can often happen when they encounter the occasional Super HDR photo while scrolling through a feed of standard images, as the display has to shift into a higher brightness mode to display the brightest parts of the image properly. It’s an intrinsic part of how HDR displays work and can’t be helped by simply adjusting the brightness control.
Super HDR is a relatively new feature that allows still photos to deliver the same improved brightness and contrast you’d typically expect from HDR video content. When Super HDR is enabled, pictures can use the full brightness capabilities of the smartphone’s display, dramatically improving image quality by increasing contrast between the brightest and darkest parts of the image.
However, displaying Super HDR images can often make the whole display suddenly much brighter than expected, which some users find pretty jarring, especially when viewing content in a darkened room. Samsung already lets users turn off Super HDR in the Gallery app, but that control hasn’t been extended to other apps, such as Instagram or Google Photos until now.
A Samsung community moderator explains the company’s plans to implement an on/off switch for the … [+]
A Good Reason Not To Disable Super HDR
While no one deserves to be blinded by an uncomfortably bright screen, I urge Samsung owners to look at some HDR content before giving up on the feature entirely because Super HDR can make a massive difference in quality when used correctly. Instagram users, in particular, should look at the work of Greg Benz, who provides many comparisons of the same photo with HDR turned on and off.
Turning HDR off with a one-time set-it-and-forget-it option means sacrificing much of the stunning picture quality your smartphone can deliver. For this reason, I hope Samsung finds a way to improve the Super HDR experience for everyone rather than simply making it easier to turn it off.
Samsung One UI 7 is now in beta on the Galaxy S24 series, and users can install it through the Samsung Members app. The stable release is due to launch with the Galaxy S25 series early in 2025.
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