Google Photos won’t downgrade your edited HDR pictures to SDR anymore

Google is rolling out some improvements to how high dynamic range (HDR) and standard dynamic range (SDR) images are edited in the Photos app. The update will keep HDR photos from getting downgraded to SDR. Google is also updating a couple of its HDR tools.

In the past, if you used editing tools like Photo Unblur or Magic Eraser, a copy of your HDR picture would be created in SDR. As Google explained in 2024, this was because its editing tools were “developed for SDR images, with models expecting SDR images as inputs and producing SDR images as outputs.” However, the tech giant has now made improvements to these tools so your photos maintain their quality.

According to Google, your HDR pictures will now “keep their full dynamic range and crucial HDR metadata even after editing with features like Photo Unblur, Magic Eraser, and Portrait Light.” As a result, the contrast and highlights in your images will remain intact.

Google Photos also has a new “Ultra HDR” tool for adjusting a photo’s brightness. Meanwhile, the previous HDR is getting renamed to “Tone.” The company says the rename is meant to reflect the real purpose of the tool.

Furthermore, it was announced that you’ll be able to turn SDR images into HDR photos. This means you can give your old SDR photos more visual pop with deeper contrasts and brighter highlights.

This is a timely update as it follows news that Google is unpausing the Ask Photos rollout. Ask Photos is an AI-powered feature designed to answer questions about the contents of your photo library.