How to take awesome selfies with the Galaxy S26 Ultra
A wider selfie camera with new image processing is a welcome improvement.
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The Galaxy S26 Ultra brings a number of improvements to the selfie camera | Image by PhoneArena
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Samsung’s new AI styles have been my little obsession over these past few weeks testing the phone. They are a huge improvement, even when compared to what we had on the previous S25 Ultra.
The main difference is that the AI styles stick very close to the original, so even when styled, you, your friends and your pets still look like… well, yourselves!
The feature is baked right in the gallery app and makes those selfies look a lot more fun:
Samsung’s AI suite is also great for getting rid of photo bombers. Say, you have the perfect selfie but there’s a random person in the background. Open the image in the gallery, tap the AI button and just select that person to remove them. Generative edit will take care of the rest.
On the surface, the Galaxy S26 Ultra front camera has not changed all that much. It’s the same 12MP sensor that Samsung has been using in the past couple of years.
But look closer, and you will see many smaller changes that together combine for one of the bigger selfie camera upgrades in a while.
First, Samsung introduces a new 23mm lens. This wider perspective (it used a 25mm lens previously) makes it much easier to fit more of the background or a larger group of people. At 23mm, Samsung has found a great middle ground — the lens is not too wide to introduce big distortions, yet wide enough to fit more people.
But look closer, and you will see many smaller changes that together combine for one of the bigger selfie camera upgrades in a while.
First, Samsung introduces a new 23mm lens. This wider perspective (it used a 25mm lens previously) makes it much easier to fit more of the background or a larger group of people. At 23mm, Samsung has found a great middle ground — the lens is not too wide to introduce big distortions, yet wide enough to fit more people.
The 23mm selfie camera is a bit wider than before (S26 Ultra on the left, S25 Ultra on the right) | Images by PhoneArena
Next is a profound change to the image processing for selfies. Galaxy phones have been using object-aware AI on the rear cameras for a while, but it’s the first time we see this AI on the image signal processor (ISP) level for the selfie camera too. What this means is that while previously all the AI processing (for the skin tone, the hair and the eyes in selfies) was done after the photo was taken, it’s now all baked in the ISP, so it happens in real time.
Basically, the S26 Ultra is treating your eyebrows, hair and skin as distinct textures with different "rules" for sharpening and lighting.
Basically, the S26 Ultra is treating your eyebrows, hair and skin as distinct textures with different "rules" for sharpening and lighting.
Essential settings for selfies
There is one key setting for selfies that you see the moment you first open the camera app. The camera asks you to pick your preferred color tone, using either Natural or Warm. If you want realistic selfies, I strongly recommend using the Natural look, but I appreciate that Samsung also gives you the option for warmer colors too.
The natural option, however, is a better fit with the new AI ISP, preserving authentic skin tones and little details like the pores in your skin.
The natural option, however, is a better fit with the new AI ISP, preserving authentic skin tones and little details like the pores in your skin.
Warm (left) vs Natural (right) color tones | Images by PhoneArena
And before we dive deeper, remember the few most important essential tips for good-looking selfies:
Pro Tip: Download the Camera Assistant app from the Galaxy Store to unlock some superpowers! In the app, toggle Photo Softening to "Off" or "Medium." This is the little secret that will keep eyelashes and eyebrows looking sharp instead of blurry.
- Clean up that lens before shooting.
- Look at the camera, not the screen.
- For posing and composition, hold the phone slightly above eye level and tilt your chin down just a fraction. This uses the S26 Ultra’s wide-angle lens to slim the jawline naturally.
Pro Tip: Download the Camera Assistant app from the Galaxy Store to unlock some superpowers! In the app, toggle Photo Softening to "Off" or "Medium." This is the little secret that will keep eyelashes and eyebrows looking sharp instead of blurry.
Screenshots by PhoneArena
If you come from an iPhone, there are a few little things that will likely really impress you. First, it’s the Show Palm option. This one is enabled by default, and you can just show your palm to start a timer and get a selfie without having to press a button. Super useful!
On the Galaxy, you can also use voice commands to take a selfie. You can simply say "Cheese", "Smile", “Capture” to take a photo when your other hand is full.
Quick Tip: Go to Camera Settings > Shooting methods (under the General tab) and enable “Show palm”. Then, just hold your hand up to the camera and it will start a 2-second timer.
I also love taking multiple pictures while on a timer. While still in camera settings, scroll all the way down to Camera Assistant and go to “Timer multi-photo options”. Here, I select multiple pictures with a small interval between them. This is perfect for couples on a vacation or just a group of friends doing fun stuff.
On the Galaxy, you can also use voice commands to take a selfie. You can simply say "Cheese", "Smile", “Capture” to take a photo when your other hand is full.
Quick Tip: Go to Camera Settings > Shooting methods (under the General tab) and enable “Show palm”. Then, just hold your hand up to the camera and it will start a 2-second timer.
I also love taking multiple pictures while on a timer. While still in camera settings, scroll all the way down to Camera Assistant and go to “Timer multi-photo options”. Here, I select multiple pictures with a small interval between them. This is perfect for couples on a vacation or just a group of friends doing fun stuff.
It’s very easy to take multiple selfies on a timer with the S26 Ultra | Images by PhoneArena
Also, don’t forget that you can shoot RAW selfies. I recommend using the Expert RAW mode for that if you want to keep the HDR look, or go to Pro mode if you want a RAW file with no HDR effect at all.
AI Style your selfies
Samsung’s new AI styles have been my little obsession over these past few weeks testing the phone. They are a huge improvement, even when compared to what we had on the previous S25 Ultra.
The main difference is that the AI styles stick very close to the original, so even when styled, you, your friends and your pets still look like… well, yourselves!
The feature is baked right in the gallery app and makes those selfies look a lot more fun:
AI Styles applied to a selfie
Generative edits and AI photo assist
Samsung’s AI suite is also great for getting rid of photo bombers. Say, you have the perfect selfie but there’s a random person in the background. Open the image in the gallery, tap the AI button and just select that person to remove them. Generative edit will take care of the rest.
AI eraser works brilliantly on the S26 Ultra | Image by PhoneArena
The S26 Ultra also adds natural language prompting for all images, including selfies.
You can literally just type what you want to see in a photo. For example, you can type "change my jacket to a T-shirt," or "turn this morning into a night”.
You can literally just type what you want to see in a photo. For example, you can type "change my jacket to a T-shirt," or "turn this morning into a night”.
Generative edit can make big and very convincing changes to your photos (Here, I asked the phone to change my jacket to a T-shirt) | Image by PhoneArena
Here I asked Galaxy AI[1] to turn this morning photo into a night one | Image by PhoneArena
This is all context-aware and much more realistic than before. Photo Assist[2] maps the lighting, shadows and perspective of the original image, so AI will also generate realistic reflections and shadows that match the environment.
For the first time, you also have a step-by-step edit history, so you can go back and tweak or undo specific editing steps without starting over.
For the first time, you also have a step-by-step edit history, so you can go back and tweak or undo specific editing steps without starting over.
[1] Galaxy AI - Samsung account login is required for certain AI features. Galaxy AI features are provided for free. Future releases may include additional advanced features that are offered as part of a paid subscription plan. Different terms may apply for AI features provided by third parties.
[2] Galaxy AI's Photo Assist - Requires network connection and Samsung account login. A visible watermark is overlaid on the saved image to indicate it was generated by Galaxy AI. Accuracy of output not guaranteed.
[2] Galaxy AI's Photo Assist - Requires network connection and Samsung account login. A visible watermark is overlaid on the saved image to indicate it was generated by Galaxy AI. Accuracy of output not guaranteed.
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