Is this an HDR photo?
Drop a photo to check for HDR
The original file from the phone or camera
Works with Ultra HDR iPhone Pixel AVIF HEIC
or paste an image or link (Ctrl+V) Paste a link
How it works
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1
Drop your file in the box above, or tap to choose one.
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We read the information saved inside it. This takes a few seconds.
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The answer appears right away, with a link you can share and the full details if you want them.
What makes a photo HDR
An HDR photo holds more brightness than a normal one, so on an HDR phone or monitor sunsets, lights and reflections glow. Most phones store it as a normal picture plus a "gain map" that tells HDR screens how much to brighten each area: Google calls it Ultra HDR, Apple uses its own.
HDR mode on a camera is different: it merges exposures to recover detail, but the result is a standard picture. This tool tells the two apart, and shows when a photo has lost its HDR along the way.
- Ultra HDR gain map
- iPhone HDR
- HDR colour curves (PQ, HLG)
- Brightness headroom
Questions and answers
How do I know if a photo is HDR?
Drop it into the box above. We look for a gain map, an HDR colour curve or an HDR file format, and say plainly whether it will light up an HDR screen.
What is Ultra HDR?
Google's format for HDR photos on Android: a normal JPEG with a gain map inside. Normal screens show the JPEG; HDR screens use the gain map to brighten the highlights.
Are iPhone photos HDR?
Recent iPhones save HDR photos with a gain map, in HEIC and JPEG. They lose it when edited by many apps, screenshotted or sent through messaging apps.
Why does my HDR mode photo say "standard"?
HDR mode merges several exposures into one balanced picture, but saves it as a normal photo. It looks the same on every screen.
Why did my photo lose its HDR?
The gain map is extra data that many apps, websites and converters don't keep. Share the original file to keep it.
What happens to my file?
Your file is sent over an encrypted connection, read on our servers and deleted automatically after about 24 hours. The answer is kept on a page with its own link, so you can share it. Tool result pages are never listed in search engines.