Google has announced that Android 16 will bring true HDR (High Dynamic Range) screenshot support. Previously, even though Android devices could display HDR content, the screenshots taken were downgraded to SDR (Standard Dynamic Range) format. This meant that the bright colors and light and shadow details of HDR were lost. With Android 16, all the details of HDR content will be preserved in screenshots.

Android 16 will support true HDR screenshots!

First of all, HDR technology creates images that are closer to the real world by offering brighter light areas, deeper shadows and a wider range of colors. However, until now, when screenshotting HDR content on Android devices, the colors and light balance were unfortunately not properly maintained.

Android 13, for example, supported HDR video, but only stored screenshots in SDR format. Android 14 also added support for Ultra HDR images, but tried to store the SDR UI and HDR content in a single image, which prevented images from looking as they should.

On the other hand, Android 15 prevented the loss of high light areas by using local tone mapping in HDR screenshots, but the images were still stored in SDR format. In Android 16 Beta 2, tests with the Pixel 7 Pro showed that screenshots of HDR content were stored in HDR format.

In other words, with Android 16, HDR screenshots can be displayed on HDR supported devices with full color accuracy and brightness preserved. The new system creates HDR screenshots in PNG format and adds “gainmap” (brightness mapping) data to preserve HDR details. This method better preserves the color balance and brightness of HDR content, even when displayed on SDR displays.

At the moment, it is unclear why Google chose the PNG format for HDR screenshots instead of the Ultra HDR-supported JPEG. However, the fact that PNG is less subject to compression-induced distortions and can store more data may be the reason for the choice.

Which devices will support HDR screenshots?

This feature will first come to Google Pixel devices, but other manufacturers are expected to integrate HDR screenshot support into their interfaces. With the new version, flagship models of Samsung, Xiaomi, Oppo and other manufacturers with HDR display support can also benefit from this feature.