Google is making HDR screenshots better than ever with Android 16 Beta 2, ensuring that HDR elements are preserved properly when capturing on-screen content.
This update fixes long-standing issues where HDR screenshots would either appear too dark or lose HDR effects entirely.
How Android 16 Fixes HDR Screenshots
In earlier Android versions, screenshots of HDR content often lost their vibrancy due to the way the operating system handled mixed HDR and non-HDR elements.
Google attempted to improve this in Android 15 by introducing a new algorithm to prevent colors from looking washed out. However, the final screenshot still lacked actual HDR support.
Now, with Android 16 Beta 2, HDR screenshots will retain their full HDR effects, provided they are viewed on a compatible display.
The saved images use PNG format with an HDR gainmap, as confirmed by developers Dylan Raga and ledoge on GitHub. This means that screenshots accurately reflect HDR elements as they appeared at the time of capture.
A Step Forward for HDR Content
As HDR adoption grows across social media, streaming apps, and mobile games, this improvement ensures that screenshots capture the full visual quality of HDR displays.
Users can expect more accurate colors, better contrast, and improved brightness when taking screenshots on HDR-supported devices.
With Android 16 still in beta, further refinements could be on the way, but this update already marks a significant improvement for HDR users.
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