Google has quietly introduced support for Ultra HDR image sharing in RCS chats on its Messages app. This means that users with compatible devices can now send and view Ultra HDR photos within the messaging app. 

The Ultra HDR image format is compatible with Android 14 and builds upon the standard JPEG format with additional HDR metadata. This means that it can be viewed on any device, but only devices with HDR-compatible displays will be able to take advantage of the full range of colors and tones.

Google Messages Ultra HDR image support

The feature was initially discovered by TheSpAndroid, which noted support for Ultra HDR images was added back in September, just before the Pixel 8 series launch. This was verified by the – bugle.support_ultra_hdr flag within the apk.

Furthermore, the blog highlights that Google Messages doesn’t seem to be removing the HDR gain map from Ultra HDR images. Therefore, when the sent photo is saved, it should retain its Ultra HDR quality in Google Photos.

Theoretically, when an Ultra HDR image is sent or received in a Google Messages RCS chat, the image should automatically be displayed with the HDR metadata applied, assuming the device has an HDR-compatible display. 

However, there is currently no way to tell whether an image is an Ultra HDR image in Google Messages. 

Google hasn’t made an official announcement regarding the availability of Ultra HDR support in Google Messages. However, the feature is expected to gradually roll out to all Android 14 devices in the upcoming weeks.

In related news, Adobe has also recently added support for UltraHDR image editing in Lightroom mobile for Android. This means that users can now edit and export their HDR images directly from the app, without having to use a separate app.

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