Popular iPhone Camera App 'Halide' Gaining Three New Features in 2025

Lux, the developers behind Halide and Kino, have announced their plans for Halide 3.0, a major update slated for release in 2025 with a series of new features.

halide camera app
Halide "Mark III" is set to gain one-tap color grading. Color grading has been a highly requested addition since the launch of Process Zero, Halide's proprietary image processing system, which debuted in 2024. The feature is expected to allow users to apply professional-grade film looks instantly, similar to the capabilities offered in Lux's Kino app. Lux envisions this feature going beyond presets, potentially enabling users to import custom looks created by others.

While iPhones have long supported HDR through Apple's native algorithms, Halide has refrained from adopting the technology due to concerns over aesthetic preferences and technical compatibility. Lux aims to address these concerns by introducing a nuanced, tasteful HDR implementation that avoids the garish appearance often associated with poorly executed HDR. The timing coincides with advancements in iOS 18, particularly the introduction of Adaptive HDR, which extends HDR compatibility to legacy file formats like JPEG. Lux believes this development marks a tipping point for HDR’s broader adoption and plans to integrate the feature alongside its color grading tools.

Lux is also planning to debut a complete redesign of Halide's user interface. With Halide Mark II turning five years old in 2025, Lux has decided it is time for a visual and functional overhaul. The company has hinted that the changes will integrate tightly with the new features, such as making the color grading interface central to the app’s operation.

Lux has launched an official Discord server, allowing Halide subscribers to access early builds, share ideas, and participate in discussions to help shape the new version of the app. The server will also host a year-long photography challenge, offering weekly prompts and resources to inspire photographers and encourage engagement within the community.

Tag: Halide

Popular Stories

ios 26 1 slide to stop

iOS 26.1 Brings Back 2007 Feature in New Way

Friday October 31, 2025 1:40 pm PDT by
The upcoming iOS 26.1 update includes a small but helpful change for iPhones, and it could prevent you from running late to something important. Specifically, when an alarm goes off in the Clock app, there is a new "slide to stop" control on the screen for turning off the alarm. On previous iOS 26 versions, there is simply a large "stop" button, which could be accidentally tapped. The new ...
Apple Logo Spotlight

Report: Apple to Launch These New Products in 2026

Sunday November 2, 2025 5:34 am PST by
Apple is planning to launch at least 15 new products in 2026, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Gurman outlined what to expect from Apple in 2026 in the latest edition of his "Power On" newsletter. He said the company is heading "into one of its most pivotal years in recent memory," with the rollout of major new Apple Intelligence features, intense regulatory pressure on the App Store,...
M5 MacBook Pro

Waiting for New Macs? Apple Just Shared Bad News

Friday October 31, 2025 7:32 am PDT by
Apple has just given a strong indication that it will not be releasing any additional new Macs for the remainder of the year. Apple's CFO Kevan Parekh dropped the hint during the company's earnings call on Thursday:On Mac, keep in mind, we expect to face a very difficult compare against the M4 MacBook Pro, Mac mini, and iMac launches in the year-ago quarter.Parekh essentially gave a heads up ...
Apple Intelligence General Feature 2

New Version of Siri to 'Lean' on Google Gemini

Sunday November 2, 2025 6:06 am PST by
In his "Power On" newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today provided an update on the status of Apple Intelligence and the plans for it in 2026. Apple is still planning to roll out its revamped version of Siri around March of next year. The release should be accompanied by the release of a new smart home display product with speaker-base and wall-mount options. A new Apple TV and HomePod...
Apple Foldable Thumb

iPhone Fold: Launch, Pricing, and What to Expect From Apple's Foldable

Friday October 31, 2025 8:52 am PDT by
Apple is expected to launch a new foldable iPhone next year, based on multiple rumors and credible sources. The long-awaited device has been rumored for years now, but signs increasingly suggest that 2026 could indeed be the year that Apple releases its first foldable device. Below, we've collated an updated set of key details that have been leaked about Apple's foldable iPhone so far. Ove...
HomePod mini and Apple TV

New Apple TV and HomePod Mini Likely Launching Soon

Sunday November 2, 2025 5:49 am PST by
A new Apple TV and HomePod mini could launch as soon as this month, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today suggested. In today's "Power On" newsletter, Gurman said that Apple retail stores are planning an overnight refresh on the evening of November 11, where changes will be made after closing, such as refreshing displays and placing new products for the following day. The timing of the overnight...
Coffee Burgundy and Purple iPhone 18 Pro Mock 1

Leaker Outlines Potential New Colors for iPhone 18 Pro

Friday October 31, 2025 8:28 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone 18 Pro models could be available in new rich and warm color option, according to a known leaker. The Weibo user known as "Instant Digital" today suggested that next-year's iPhone 18 Pro models will be available in at least one of the following color options: Coffee, purple, and burgundy. The iPhone XR, iPhone 11, iPhone 12, iPhone 14, and iPhone 14 Pro were all available in ...
iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange

8 Reasons to Wait for Next Year's iPhone 18 Pro

Thursday October 30, 2025 4:42 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models at the same time, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 18 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. One thing worth...
iOS 26

6 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 26.1

Wednesday October 29, 2025 4:22 am PDT by
Apple is about to drop iOS 26.1, the first major point release since iOS 26 was rolled out in September, and there are at least six notable changes and improvements to look forward to. We've rounded them up below. Apple has already provided developers and public beta testers with the release candidate version of iOS 26.1, which means Apple will likely roll out the update to all compatible...

Top Rated Comments

applevisionpro Avatar
11 months ago
a subscription for a camera app? Are you out of your mind??
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Megaman Avatar
11 months ago
Subscription is a no go. Specially for a camera app.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
poematik13 Avatar
11 months ago
subscription?
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jasonsmith_88 Avatar
11 months ago

Halide seems like a nice app and I understand that devs have to eat, too ... but there's just no way in hell I'm paying €23/a for this or €70 one time payment and it's not even really one time because you will have to buy the next version _again_.
So you don’t want to pay for a subscription but also don’t want to pay for major versions. So what exactly are you asking for? To pay once for unlimited access to all future versions of the app for the rest of your life? Do you genuinely believe this is a reasonable ask?
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
neilw Avatar
11 months ago

you will have to buy the next version _again_.
No. From their blog:


Attachment Image
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Cocoi Avatar
11 months ago

Halide seems like a nice app and I understand that devs have to eat, too ... but there's just no way in hell I'm paying €23/a for this or €70 one time payment and it's not even really one time because you will have to buy the next version _again_.
No, Mark 3 is obviously included. We even say so in the post!


Why should i pay to use a different UI for my camera?

Go get a real job, in hardware

Oh yeah, those “one pay” models are scams too. You’ll always release a new overhauled version that requires a new purchase, and the old one stops getting updates.
It costs nothing to be nice, by the way. Please elaborate on how we are a ‘scam’. If you bought Halide EIGHT YEARS AGO for $2/$3, not only does it still work, you got almost every major feature we added in the subsequent eight years for free. We even promise it will keep working, with all of those features, for the life of the app.

It’s bizarre to me that two guys making a camera app that work super hard on it - we barely have vacations - get called a ‘scam’ when the App Store is full of apps that require you to pay $8 for a week of features that barely work. Again, it costs nothing to be nice. If you have serious concerns or feedback, I answer our email personally. If you are a user from back then and you are unhappy with the product now, I’ll refund you out of pocket. Just DM me. But don’t say things that just aren’t true.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)