Chances are, it utilizes Android 16’s built-in gain maps to deliver authentic HDR visuals.
Samsung is allegedly preparing a visual delight with One UI 8, with the newest test incorporating HDR screenshot support. This means your screen captures will finally retain all the rich contrast and brightness from what you truly observe on your display.
With Android 16, genuine HDR screenshots are at last available. Now, when you take a shot of any HDR content, it retains the vibrancy you notice in the original image or video.
Rather than compressing the image, it now saves everything as a PNG filled with all the necessary metadata, including gain maps. Thus, when you view it on an HDR-compatible display, what you see is precisely what was intended to be seen, not some faded version.
When the majority of content was SDR, Android didn’t really require HDR screenshot support. However, SDR has its drawbacks, such as dull colors and diminished contrast. You’ve likely experienced it: you take a picture of an incredibly detailed photo, only to check the screenshot and find it looks flat, uninspiring, perhaps even washed out. That’s because standard screenshots default to SDR, which simply can’t match the vibrant color and brightness that HDR provides.
HDR screenshots are (finally!) coming
According to leaker Ice Universe, the latest One UI 8 ZYF7 beta—still restricted to closed testing—introduces support for HDR screenshots (via SamMobile). That marks a substantial improvement from the previous SDR-only screen captures.
Ice Universe even tested this on a Galaxy S25 Ultra by capturing an HDR photo from social media, and it preserved the complete HDR appearance.
Since it’s already active in the closed beta, there’s a strong possibility that HDR screenshot support will be included in the forthcoming One UI 8 public beta. If this persists through to the final One UI 8 release, your screenshots will maintain all the vivid colors and deep contrast that make HDR content stand out.
Considering that beta features are often uncertain, there is no affirmation they’ll be included in the final build. However, the presence of HDR screenshot support in One UI 8’s closed beta is an encouraging indication.
