Google If you have a recent Android flagship, then you've probably noticed the benefits of Ultra HDR photos, which are able to capture more intense color and lighting details. Now, Instagram is adding support for the format to its in-app camera, along with a handful of other upgrades for Android users.
With the changes, Instagram will better support the Ultra HDR format, which was introduced with Android 14 in 2023. This means Instagram users can achieve the same "lifelike vibrancy" when using the in-app camera as their device's native camera app. Meta is also adding support for Android's Night Sight feature for low-light captures and video stabilization.
Instagram users have long complained about its inconsistent handling of HDR uploads from Android devices and Google suggests that people should see some improvements there too. "We've completely optimized the capture-to-upload pipeline to ensure your photos and videos remain stunningly sharp when you hit 'post,'" Google wrote in a blog post. The company said that its own tests (which relied on an AI model) "confirm that video captured and uploaded to Instagram from Android flagship devices scores the same or better than the leading competitor."
Meta is also delivering a few other goodies for its non-iPhone wielding users, including the addition of an Instagram app for Android tablets. Initial screenshots look very similar to the iPad app the company released last fall, but it's nice to see a version of Instagram that's actually optimized for larger displays. Edits, the CapCut-like editing app for Reels creators is getting some Android-specific upgrades as well. The changes include AI-powered upscaling and sound separation, which allows creators to isolate and remove specific sounds from their recordings.
The updates were shared during Google's I/O edition of the Android Show, which offered a look at some of the biggest updates coming to the platform ahead of the company's annual developer conference. Android 17 is expected to roll out later this year.
