HDR or High Dynamic Range is a camera setting on the iPhone that takes a sequence of photos at different brightness levels and blends them to render a more detailed photo. Different exposure levels help in identifying the dark and light areas, and colors under different light situations to ultimately provide a higher detailed image.
The HDR photos on the iPhone take processing power while combining multiple photos, and often take more storage. This can impact the battery life of the phone. Moreover, if your preference is to take photos under natural conditions without software interference, then it is important to turn off the HDR.
In this guide, I will be covering how to turn off HDR on the iPhone and how it can impact your photography.
Note: HDR is available on iPhones running iOS 17 or later. By default, the iPhone takes photos and records videos in HDR.
Turn Off HDR on iPhone
To deactivate the High Dynamic Range (HDR) feature on iPhone X, iPhone XR, iPhone 11, and iPhone 12 models:
1. Go to the Settings.
2. Scroll and open Camera settings.
3. Turn off Smart HDR.
Note: The ability to turn off HDR for photos is no longer available on iPhone 13 and later models.
Turn Off HDR Video on iPhone
To turn off HDR video on iPhone 12, iPhone 13, iPhone 14, and iPhone 15:
1. Go to the Settings.
2. Scroll and open Camera settings.
3. At the top, tap on the Record Video option.
4. Disable the HDR Video (High Efficiency).
Can I Turn Off HDR for Photos on iPhone 13 or Later Models?
No, you cannot turn off HDR for photos on iPhone model 13 and later. However, the HDR for videos can be disabled.
Apple has removed this feature from iPhone 13 and later models to provide better quality photos using powerful newer chips. Hence, getting back this feature is impossible. However, there is a method that allows you to see all the photos taken by iPhone using HDR which is Live Photos. The live photo is a combination of HDR frames taken by the iPhone camera that selects and shows the best frame.
If you want to access all the frames of the live photo, then take a Live photo, open it, and tap on Edit. Then tap on Live to see a list of frames. Choose the frame of your own preference using the selector window. Tap on the Make Key Photo and then on Done.
Many alternative apps can provide you with more control over your camera, including HDR; some of them are listed below:
It is a paid app, that provides manual control of the exposure, shutter speed, ISO, and focus.
It is also a paid app that provides manual control of many camera settings. It also has various output formats.
It is a free app that can be used to take non-HDR photos on iPhone 13 and later models. It also comes with many professional photography tools.
When to Turn Off HDR?
It is beneficial to turn off HDR on your iPhone while taking photos of moving objects. It essentially eliminates the dark or washed-out areas in the images. Moreover, if you want to take photos where the main aim is to show detailed shadows, then turning off HDR is a good idea.
In essence, turn off HDR if you want to achieve a specific effect in your photo, such as showing the dark or bright areas of the image.
How Turning Off HDR Can Impact Photography on iPhone?
Turning off HDR can notably impact the quality and outcome of your photography with your iPhone, as it can lead to distinct changes in how your device captures and processes images.
The HDR, in photographic terms, signifies the ratio between the brightest and darkest area of the photo, highlighting the span of luminance values taken by the camera sensor. The higher the range, the better the details in the image. Therefore, disabling the HDR may not give you the post-processed photos with more details.
However, turning off HDR does not mean you cannot take better photos. Ultimately, using HDR comes down to personal preference such as the light conditions, or effect that you want to achieve while taking photos.
Conclusion
On iPhones, the HDR setting is used to take photos with a range of brightness levels. However, if you desire to capture photographs without utilizing the dynamic range, it would be a good idea to disable it. For iPhone models ranging from iPhone X to iPhone 12, the HDR feature for photos can be disabled; however, it is not available for iPhone 13 and later, as Apple has discontinued this feature. However, it’s worth noting that on all iPhone models, the option to disable High Dynamic Range (HDR) for video recording is available, providing users with flexibility in their videography settings. In this guide, I covered methods to disable HDR on iPhones and how disabling HDR impacts photography.
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