Summary
Camera upgrades on phones aren’t always about the hardware. Sure, a larger sensor helps, but it’s the software where most of the magic happens these days. I’ve been using the Galaxy S26 since launch and have slowly discovered camera features I had no idea existed. Some are tucked behind camera settings, while others require secondary apps to unlock. Either way, they’re worth digging into if you want to get the most out of what the S26’s camera can actually do.
Keep videos steady with Horizontal Lock
Who needs a gimbal?
Galaxy phones have had the Super Steady mode for a few years, but the Galaxy S26 adds a second toggle inside it that does something entirely different.
It’s called Horizontal Lock, and it basically maintains the video frame level even when you rotate or tilt your phone. It uses your phone’s gyroscope and accelerometer to track motion and keep the horizon flat, no matter what the phone itself is doing.
To enable it, tap the Super Steady icon (the little running figure) in Video mode, and then tap the horizontal lock icon (the running figure inside a box). You can now record anything and the camera will maintain the frame even when you rotate or tilt the phone. The only catch is that this feature needs good lighting conditions. If they’re not there, the feature simply won’t work.
The hidden 24MP mode hits the sweet spot
Better details at smaller file size
The Galaxy S26 has a 50MP main sensor and a 12MP ultra-wide one, both of which do their own thing. But there’s also a third option that sits right in the middle, which is the 24MP mode. It uses AI Fusion processing to pull details from higher-resolution sensor data and applies multi-frame computational photography like the 12MP mode. That means you get three best of both worlds. Photos have more details than 12MP mode, but the files aren’t anywhere near as large as 50MP shots.
I don’t blame you for not knowing about this, because it’s actually hidden inside the Camera Assistant module. To access it, you’ll first need to download the Good Lock app from the Galaxy Store. Once you have it, the Camera Assistant option will appear inside the Camera Settings menu. Download the module, go to 24 MP resolution, and enable 24 MP in Photo mode. Go back to Photo mode, and you’ll see the 24M option at the top.
The 24MP mode only works if you’ve set Photo Enhancer to Prioritize Quality. If it’s on Balanced or Prioritize Speed, the camera app will drop back down to 12MP even with 24MP mode enabled.
AI-powered document scanning
No need for a separate app
This is one of my personal favorites, though it has nothing to do with taking photos and videos. The Galaxy S26 has a document scanner inside the Camera app. While that may not sound very new, the implementation is different because it’s powered by Galaxy AI.
To use it, head to Camera Settings > Scanning and make sure all the scanning features are enabled. After that, you don’t have to do much else. Point the camera at a document and a Scan option will appear. Galaxy AI takes care of detecting the document, removing shadows, fixing curled pages, and even removing accidental fingers from over the page. And it does it all at lightning speed. You can create a multipage scan and save the whole thing as a PDF.
There’s even a text scanning feature, which lets you extract text from your documents without actually capturing them. It’s great for extracting phone numbers, emails, addresses, and other details from a document.
Virtual Aperture gives you more control over blur
Shoot like a pro
On DSLR and mirrorless cameras, adjusting the aperture lets you control the background blur. Virtual Aperture brings something similar to the Galaxy S26, but with software. It first detects the subject in your photo and then lets you adjust the blur effect to exactly how you like it. The bigger deal is that it works with all three lenses and not just the primary one.
This feature is hidden too. To use it, go to the More tab and download Expert RAW. It’s a separate app that’s built specifically for those who love tinkering with the camera settings. Inside Expert RAW, tap the labs icon, and tap the F icon (Virtual Aperture). You’ll then be able to dial the blur up and down before you shoot.
Inside Expert RAW’s Labs menu, there’s another useful option called Virtual Reflector. It lets you virtually adjust the color and intensity of reflected light, and even change its direction on the subject. This is something that photographers often do with physical reflectors, but Expert RAW lets you do it with software.
Samsung Galaxy S26
- SoC
- Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5
- Display
- 6.3-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2x
- RAM
- 12 GB The Samsung Galaxy S26 features a 6.3-inch 120Hz display, a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip, and a 4,300 mAh battery. It includes a 50MP main camera with enhanced AI software, 256GB of base storage, and a slim 7.2mm profile, focusing on fast daily performance.
- Storage
- 256 or 512 GB