How to Improve Photo Resolution on Android

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Change these settings to take even better pictures on your Android phone

Co-authored by Reina LeGrand and Nicole Levine, MFA

Last Updated: November 24, 2024 Tested

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• Changing the Camera’s Resolution
|
• Using HDR Mode
|
• Video

|Show more |Show less

Are the photos you take with your Android camera too low-quality? To improve photo resolution on your Android, open your Camera app's settings and increase the image quality, or try shooting in HDR mode. If you have a Samsung Galaxy, see Improve Photo Resolution on Samsung Galaxy for more tips.

Quick Steps

1. Open the Camera app.
2. Tap the gear icon.
3. Select Picture size, Image quality, or similar.
4. Select the highest resolution in megapixels.

Steps

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Changing the Camera’s Resolution

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1. 1
   Open the Camera app on your Android. You’ll usually find it on the home screen.

   • The camera apps on Android phones and tablets vary by manufacturer. The options should be similar, but your Android may have different menu names and locations than those in this article.
2. 2
   Tap the gear icon. It’s usually at one of the corners of the camera screen. A list of settings will appear.
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3. 3
   Find and select Image properties or Image quality. This may also be called Picture size or Image resolution. You’ll know you’re in the right place if you see options like “Standard,” “Low,” and/or “High.”
4. 4
   Select High. This tells your Android’s camera to save photos in the highest resolution possible.
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Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Using HDR Mode

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1. 1
   Open the Camera app on your Android. You’ll usually find it on the home screen.

   • The camera apps on Android phones and tablets vary by manufacturer. The options should be similar, but your Android may have different menu names and locations than those in this article.
   • HDR mode takes higher-quality photos by capturing more variations in colors and brightness. It takes the best quality photos of scenery when there’s lots of variation between light and darkness.
2. 2
   Tap the HDR option on the viewfinder. Look for an icon that says “HDR" somewhere on the screen.

   • If you don’t see this option, it’s probably hiding in a filter/photo mode menu. Tap the icon that opens the menu of different modes (e.g. low light, beautification, etc), and then select HDR.
3. 3
   Take a photo. Make sure you stay as still as possible when taking photos in HDR mode. The slightest movement could make the photo appear blurry.

   • HDR mode will snap 3 to 5 photos of the same shot and then convert them into one high-quality photo.
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Common Questions

How do I change my Samsung phone camera to high resolution?

On a Galaxy phone, open the Camera app, tap the Camera Ratio icon (the two numbers separated by a colon), and select the highest resolution available.

How can I increase the resolution of a photo?

If you've already taken the photo, you can use photo-editing desktop apps like Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom, which both have Super Resolution and Resampling options.

How do I change the pixel size of an image?

On a Samsung Galaxy, open the image in the Gallery app, tap the Edit icon, tap the three-dot menu, and select Resize. On other Android models, you can download a free resizing app like Photo & Picture Resizer.

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