With the arrival of the Galaxy S25 series, Samsung introduced a bevy of camera-centric changes. Take for example the Galaxy S25 Ultra, which upgrades to a 50-megapixel ultrawide sensor, a new Spatio Temporal filter for blur reduction, 8K capture across all lenses, default 10-bit HDR recording, and more. But the company silently gave a massive boost to filters.
So far, users have only been able to pick a filter and capture media with the effect applied on top. There was no scope for fine-tuning the filter characteristics in real time. That limitation has finally gone to the grave with the Galaxy S25 series.
Now, the Galaxy S25’s camera app features nearly a dozen filters, each with five core adjustment dials. You can tweak the color temperature, strength, contrast, saturation, and film grain for each filter individually.
Apple introduced a similar system with tone controls and styles on the iPhone 16 series. However, this system only allows two types of controls on a touchpad. It can take a bit of time to get used to, but the learning curve is not too steep.
Beating Apple at it’s own game
In Samsung’s case, you have more versatility as you seek to achieve the perfect stylistic tone. For example, the ability to control the saturation levels and grain can dramatically change how the final shot looks. I love it.
And here is the nicer part. Samsung even lets you create your own special filter. All you need to do is pick a picture from your camera roll, and the phone will do the rest for you.
If you like the color chemistry of a certain photo in your gallery and want to replicate the same look, the Galaxy S25 will pick all the details from that photo and turn it into a personalized filter.
“This innovative function allows you to capture the look and feel of your preferred photos by mimicking their colors and styles, and instantly applying these to new images,” says the company.
For easy identification, the custom filter picks up the same thumbnail as the original picture it is based on. Of course, you can give a special name to these personalized filters, as well.
Just keep in mind that when you are creating your original filters, switch to the Photo Mode in the Samsung camera app. All these filters are saved locally on your Galaxy S25, and you can create up to 99 of these unique style effects.
Now, if only Samsung allowed users to share these unique filters. Sigh!
