Boost Your Messaging Experience with Ultra HDR Images on Google Messages RCS Support

Google Messages Now Supports Ultra HDR Image Format in Android

In a recent update, Google quietly added support for the Ultra HDR Image Format in Google Messages when sending messages over RCS. This new format allows images to maintain their meta data and display correctly on the receiving device, providing a wider dynamic range with brighter highlights and greater shadow detail.

The addition of this feature was first noticed by TheSpAndroid, who found a flag called bugle.support_ultra_hdr in the application APK. The blog post authors confirmed through testing that the feature works on Google Pixel 8 devices when sending images over RCS.

The Ultra HDR Image Format is a recent inclusion in Android 14, functioning as a variation of JPEG by encoding a logarithmic range gain map image in the metadata. Google added support for this feature back in September, prior to the launch of the Pixel 8. While Pixel 8 devices are the first to capture images in this format, older Pixel devices can still display these images as intended, despite not being able to capture them.

However, adoption of this technology has been slow, with other companies like OnePlus and Oppo having their own version called ProXDR, which is not compatible with Ultra HDR supporting devices like the Pixel phones. In order for this technology to become more widely accepted, companies will have to come together and settle on a single format, particularly in the Android world.

This move by Google is a significant step towards enhancing the quality of images transmitted via RCS. As the technology continues to develop, we can expect to see more advancements in the way images are shared and displayed across different devices and platforms.