Google Photos has learnt to convert regular photos to UltraHDR

Google Photos now has an option that converts standard images with standard dynamic range (SDR) to the new Ultra HDR format. Now, smartphone owners will be able to "revive" old shots: brighter highlights, deeper shadows, and richer colors will be available without complicated editing or special equipment.

Lifehacker writes about it.

How conversion to Ultra HDR works

Unlike classic HDR, the Ultra HDR format saves two versions of an image at once: the enhanced version and the standard one. Thanks to this, the file opens correctly even on screens without HDR support. Previously, this effect could only be achieved when shooting in the appropriate mode, but Google is breaking this rule.

To use the new feature, you need Google Photos version 7.24.0.747539053 (or later) and activation of the feature on the server side. If the app has been updated but the Ultra HDR option hasn't appeared yet, you should wait — the rollout is gradual.

After activation, open the desired photo, click Edit, then move the tools to the left and select Corrections. The first option in the menu is Ultra HDR, which replaces the previous HDR Effect. When the effect is applied, a corresponding mark will appear in the photo's properties. Interestingly, the resulting file can be even more compact than the original: the gain map, where the HDR data is stored, takes up less space. At the same time, Google recommends keeping a copy of the original image, even if it requires additional memory, in order not to lose the original quality.

Google Photos is promoting Ultra HDR as a way to bring new life to old photos and make it easier to share content between devices with different displays. The company does not give a specific timeframe for the global rollout, so users should keep an eye out for updates and wait for the feature to become available to their accounts.

As a reminder, Google is planning to make it easier for businesses to send end-to-end encrypted emails in Gmail. The main goal is to allow sending E2EE messages to any recipient in a few clicks.

We also wrote that Google developers are working on an extension-enabled version of Chrome for Android. Some enthusiasts have already installed a test build and tested it on mobile devices.