Your phone’s HDR might feel crucial for great shots, but my testing indicated otherwise. Disabling my phone’s HDR revealed lackluster results, inconsistencies, and a feature that often felt inconsequential.

What is HDR?

HDR stands for High Dynamic Range; it’s a technique used in photography to capture a wide range of light and dark elements within a single image. Your phone takes multiple photos at different exposures and then combines them into one image that provides clarity to both the brightest and darkest parts of a scene. In theory, this feature is useful when shooting high-contrast scenes, like a bright sky with deep shadows.

However, the results aren’t always as magical as they’re cracked up to be. In some cases, HDR can make your photos looking overly processed or unnatural, which is why I decided to turn it off and see how my photos would look without it. The difference isn’t as drastic as you’d expect, and sometimes it seems there is no difference between enabling or disabling the feature.

Related

17 Camera Settings That You Should Always Change or Switch Off

If you’ve got a new camera or reset an old one, review these vital settings before you start shooting.

If you want to try disabling HDR on your phone, it’s easy to do. Here’s how to turn it off on both Android and iPhone devices:

On Android:

• Open the camera app.
• Tap the settings icon (gear or three dots, typically located in the top right).
• Find the “Auto HDR” option and toggle it off.

On iPhone:

• Open your phone’s settings.
• Scroll down and tap Camera.
• Find the “Smart HDR” option and toggle it off.
• Open your camera app.
• Tap the arrow in the top middle of the screen.
• Tap the HDR icon (it may say “HDR” or “Auto”).
• Toggle it off, or set it to “Off” if it’s on Auto.

Now that we know what HDR is and how to turn it off, let’s dive into the real-world results of testing with and without it.

5

Backlit Object in Open Sunlight

For the first test, I snapped a picture of a simple mug with the sun in the background and a clear blue sky overhead. With HDR enabled by default, the photo looked crisp and the sun’s outline looked sharp and well-defined against the sky. The image appeared balanced and natural, despite the high contrast between the mug and the bright sun.

When I turned HDR off, the sun lost its sharp outline, becoming softer and brighter without the defined edges. The overall shot still looked just as good; it gave off a more natural, less processed feel. The colors became more vibrant and authentic, but there was a slight loss of texture in the wood when HDR was disabled.

The subtle loss of detail wasn’t enough to deter me from shutting off my HDR. I was drawn more to the raw aesthetic of the natural looking sun than the insignificant changes in the wood grain.

4

Reflective Surfaces in Harsh Lighting

Next, I tested HDR on a white ceramic sugar and cream set placed directly in the sunlight indoors. With HDR, the reflections on the ceramics were more balanced, with highlights and shadows kept in check. The image was softer, without any major blowouts or overly bright areas. The HDR version was well-lit and captured each detail without any harshness.

When I turned HDR off, the reflections on the ceramics became a bit more pronounced, with some of the bright spots slightly overexposed. The contrast between the shadows and the highlights increased, giving the photo a more dramatic feel. The difference wasn’t huge, but it was noticeable. Without HDR, the image felt more alive, with more intensity in the light, but it came at the cost of losing some of the fine details in the reflections.

Overall, HDR made the image feel more controlled and polished, while turning it off added a bit more rawness and contrast. Both versions worked, but HDR provided a more balanced result.

3

Glare and Shine in Direct Sun

Similar to the previous experiment, I decided to test HDR with a metallic trashcan reflecting the sun directly into the camera lens. HDR handled the glare as best it could, balancing the bright sunlight and the trashcan’s reflective surface. It kept the photo from looking too overexposed, and the contrast between the sun and the trashcan was relatively natural.

Without HDR, the glare became more pronounced, filling the image with a larger, more aggressive reflection. The contrast was starker, and the image felt more dynamic. It was a more realistic snapshot where the sunlight had a chance to be on full display. The HDR shot felt more subdued, while the non-HDR shot felt truer to how my eyes perceived the scene.

The difference between the two shots was more noticeable here than in any of my other side-by-side comparisons. This visual paring best highlighted HDR’s tendency to prioritize balance over realism—offering a controlled image, but at the cost of some of the scene’s raw intensity.

2

Dimly Lit Scene With Minimal Contrast

HDR is not just for bright conditions, it can also help you take better photos in low-light environments. For this test, I set up a scene in a nearly pitch-black room with only a small nightlight for illumination. I expected to see some clear benefits from HDR in this dark setting.

The shot focused on a wooden frame and wreath decoration, lit only by the dim glow of the nightlight. To my surprise, both the HDR and non-HDR images looked almost identical—there were no significant differences in brightness, clarity, or detail.

The lighting was so flat and minimal that HDR didn’t have much to work with. Both photos appeared dull and grainy, as you’d expect in such low-light conditions. In this case, HDR didn’t add anything noticeable, and turning it off had little to no impact on the final image.

1

Silhouette Against a Bright Sky

I ran a couple of tests using a small bear decoration to see how HDR handled direct sunlight and high contrast in a simple setup. I was curious to see whether HDR would preserve detail or if the bright light would overwhelm the scene.

Bear Decoration in Front of the Sun

For this comparison, I held a bear decoration directly in front of the sun. With HDR turned on, the photo retained a solid balance. The decorative features were still visible, while the sun’s brightness didn’t dominate the background of the image. The HDR version captured all the subtle details without making the shadows too dark or the bright spots too overpowering.

When HDR was off, the photo remained largely the same, with the bear’s decorative features still visible in front of the sun. There wasn’t much of a difference at all. While I was expecting the sun to blow out the image more without HDR, it didn’t happen. The result was a scene that still felt true to what my eye saw; HDR didn’t add much in this scenario.

Sun Poking Through the Bear’s Legs

Next, I adjusted the scene so the sun peeked through the bear’s legs, creating a harsh contrast between the subject and foreground. In this case, HDR had a very small impact, making sure the sun wasn’t too overpowering while still allowing the details of the bear to be visible. However, when I disabled HDR, the photo felt a tad more realistic. The sun blew out slightly, mimicking how I saw it with my own eyes in the moment.

The lack of HDR allowed for a truer representation of the sun’s intensity, with a touch of glare and a softer look to the overall image. While the HDR photo did show slightly more detail in the legs of the bear, the non-HDR shot felt more natural. Both shots were almost identical, but I give a slight edge to the non-HDR shot for its authenticity.

Related

How I Make Harsh Lighting Work for My Smartphone Photos

Your smartphone camera can handle harsh lighting, you just need to know the right tricks.

After testing HDR in various scenes, I found it to have little significance on the final result. While it can help balance high-contrast scenes, it’s not always necessary and can sometimes appear artificial. In situations with no stark contrast in light, it has no noticeable effect. Whether to use HDR or not depends on your preferences, but it certainly isn’t essential for taking great photos.