Samsung Galaxy Astrophotography Mode: How To Use It In 2026

Samsung Galaxy phones can shoot long-exposure star photos, but the Astrophoto option is not in the regular Camera app.

It lives inside Samsung’s free Expert RAW app, which is why so many owners cannot find it.

This guide covers where Astrophoto, Astro Portrait and Astro Hyperlapse live, the settings that matter, and what to check when the option is missing, in 2026.

Which Galaxy night sky feature should you use?

Why you cannot find Astrophoto in the Camera app

Astrophoto is a lab feature inside Expert RAW, a separate app you download from the Galaxy Store.

If Expert RAW is not installed, tapping Expert RAW in the Camera app’s More menu sends you to the Galaxy Store to get it.

Each Expert RAW shot saves a JPEG plus a 16-bit linear DNG RAW file, per Samsung’s support page.

Which Galaxy phones support Astrophoto?

Samsung says Expert RAW itself runs on the Galaxy S20 or later, and the Samsung page restricts Astrophoto to the S23 and S22 series.

That page looks dated, because reviewers have since shot Astrophoto on newer phones such as the Galaxy S25 Edge and S25 series.

The reliable test is to install Expert RAW and look for the constellation icon in the lab menu on your own model.

How to turn on Astrophoto in Expert RAW

1. Install Expert RAW from the Galaxy Store, then open it.
2. Tap the settings icon in the top left and turn on Special photo options (some builds label this Expert RAW Labs).
3. Set the resolution to 12MP, because the special photo options only work at 12MP.
4. Tap the lab icon at the bottom right, then tap the constellation icon for Astrophoto.
5. Choose a capture time and turn on the sky guide if you want named stars and constellations in the viewfinder.
6. Press the shutter and leave the phone untouched until the capture finishes.

Android Central reports the Astrophoto icon may not appear until the phone is held steady, so mount it first.

How long should the capture time be?

Astrophoto takes many short frames and stacks them, so longer captures reduce noise and add some detail.

A Samsung community explainer says a four-minute run on a wide camera is about 12 frames of 20 seconds, with the setting adjustable up to ten minutes.

Reviewer reports vary: one S25 Edge test used the short option at roughly two to three minutes and a long option of about 12 minutes.

The available capture-time choices change by phone and app version, so pick the shortest option first and go longer only if the sky looks noisy.

What Pro mode settings work for stars?

Use Pro mode or Expert RAW’s manual controls when you want a single exposure you control.

Pro mode tops out at a 30-second shutter, and one test advises dropping to 20 seconds if stars start to streak.

How to shoot an Astro Portrait

Astro Portrait combines a flash-lit portrait with a long-exposure sky, so you appear sharp in front of the stars.

1. Mount the phone on a tripod and open Expert RAW.
2. Select Astro mode, then choose Astro Portrait.
3. Pick a capture time and use the self-timer if you are the subject.
4. Stand in the frame while the flash is on, which lasts about three seconds.
5. Step out of frame and wait for the capture to finish.

Samsung’s community page says you can stop early and the frames taken so far are still processed.

Availability is unclear on older phones, since users report it arriving on the S24 Ultra only after One UI 7.

How to record an Astro Hyperlapse (Galaxy S23)

Samsung’s community page lists Astro Hyperlapse for the Galaxy S23 wide camera only.

1. Open the Camera app, tap More, then Hyperlapse.
2. Choose the night 300x speed.
3. Turn on star trails if you want streaks instead of dots.
4. Set an automatic stop time from 10 up to 300 minutes, or choose Infinite.
5. Press the shutter and leave the phone on a tripod.

Nextpit recorded about an hour to get a 12-second clip, and Tom’s Guide says Samsung recommends at least an hour.

Do you really need a tripod and a timer?

Yes, because every method above stacks or lengthens exposure, and any movement blurs the result.

• Tripod: a solid one, since stacked frames must line up.
• Trigger: a self-timer or Bluetooth remote so pressing the shutter does not shake the phone.
• Battery: start full, because hyperlapses and long captures run for an hour or more.

What sky conditions give the best results?

• Dark site: one test suggests Bortle 4 or darker, away from city light.
• Moon phase: shoot near the new moon, since a bright moon washes out faint stars.
• Visible stars: Samsung’s community guide says the sky should show at least 10 stars to the naked eye.
• Weather: clear, low-humidity nights with no cloud.

Planes and passing clouds can show up in long exposures.

How should you edit the RAW file?

RAW astro files look flat or even bright straight off the phone, so edit them.

Android Central suggests lowering exposure, blacks and shadows while raising highlights and whites, in an editor such as Adobe Lightroom.

Astrophoto not working? Symptom-to-fix table

Related guides and official sources

• How to enable Samsung Galaxy night vision mode
• Galaxy S24 camera settings affecting photo quality
• How to fix Galaxy S25 camera app crashing after update
• Samsung: Expert RAW support page
• Samsung Community: Astrophotography guide