How to Take Screenshots and Record Videos in HDR Mode on iOS 26

Apple has given the iPhone iOS 26 a major upgrade. Along with an updated Photos app, Compact mode in Safari, and new wallpapers, iOS 26 comes with a redesigned screenshot editor that features a cool Liquid Glass system interface.

 

The most obvious difference is that screenshots are displayed with rounded corners instead of rectangular like on iOS 18. In particular, you can take photos in HDR (High Dynamic Range) mode to preserve light and color details.

Enable HDR Screenshots on iOS 26

The highlight of the updated screenshot features in iOS 26 is that you can take screenshots in HDR (High Dynamic Range). Apple has added a new 'Screenshots' page in the Settings app. You can follow these steps to enable HDR screenshots in iOS 26:

1. Open the Settings app on iOS 26.
2. Go to General Settings > Screenshot .
3. Select the HDR option in the Format section.
4. Press the Home + Volume Up button combination to take a screenshot.

 

The next time you take a screenshot on your iPhone, it will be captured in full dynamic range and saved in HEIF format. In other words, if you take a screenshot of an existing photo or video in HDR, the feature will preserve those details.

SDR quality, on the other hand, saves screenshots in PNG format and offers greater compatibility. As shown in the image below, you can check if a screenshot was taken in HDR by swiping up on the screenshot in the Photos app to open the photo details.

Record iPhone screen video in HDR mode on iOS 26

Not only for taking screenshots, HDR option is also available for screen recording. Such files are saved in HEVC HDR10 format, while screen recordings taken in SDR mode are saved in HEVC format. After switching to HDR option using the above steps, you can use the same old steps to record your iPhone screen; this option is available in Control Center.

 

Enable full screen preview by default

When you turn on the "Full Screen Preview" toggle on the Screenshots page, iOS 26 will display screenshots in full screen view instead of showing a thumbnail in the lower left corner that disappears after a few seconds.

The full interface allows you to quickly edit or annotate the screenshot and share it with friends across different apps. Additionally, you can disable the toggle and enable this interface by tapping on the temporary thumbnail that appears after taking a screenshot.

Using Visual Intelligence on Screenshots

The iPhone screenshot tool also supports improved Visual Intelligence (available on iPhone 15 Pro and later). You can select objects in your screenshot and search for relevant content in apps that integrate with Visual Intelligence.

These screenshot updates for iOS 26 are available for testing now through the developer beta program on supported iPhone models. Apple is expected to release the first public beta of iOS 26 next month. If you plan to install the developer beta on your device, be aware that early builds can be unstable, and make sure you back up your data first just in case.