Quick Links
Low-light conditions can result in underexposed photos that lack clarity and vibrancy, but you can easily fix it right in your phone’s native photo app. Let’s show you how to liven up your shadowy shots on iPhone and Android.
How to Fix Underexposed Photos on Your iPhone
iPhone users can use the pre-installed Photos app to make basic exposure adjustments. There is always the Auto feature that does the heavy lifting for you, but auto features adjust an entire photo, whereas we only want to target underexposure, and manual editing will give the best results.
Find your photo in the app, hitEdit, and follow the steps below:
You should now have a correctly exposed photo that’s ready for color grading and other edits. If the lighting looks fine but you still feel like there’s a dullness to your photo, turn upSharpness,Definition, andBrilliancefor the final touches.
How to Fix Your Underexposed Photos on Android
The process is pretty much the same whenusing Google Photos on Android. Once again, we’re going to bypass any auto or AI features to avoid changing the entire image—we only want to target the underexposure, so manual editing is best in this case.
Find your image in the app, hitEdit, and follow the steps below:
If you feel like your photo can use a little more clarity, turn upPopandSharpen. Your photo should now not only look brighter but also have more vibrancy.
Below is my result. Unfortunately, I did lose a bit of the detail in the clouds, but my photo isn’t underexposed anymore and the rest of the composition pops.
While smartphone cameras continue improving, the grain or dullness fromshooting in low-light conditionsremains a challenge. But once you know which settings to toggle for better exposure, it’s smooth sailing.
