You've probably seen the recent headlines about Ocean Mode coming to select Samsung Galaxy phones through an Expert RAW update. But even if it rings a bell, you might not know what it actually does or where it came from. Here's everything you need to know.
What is Samsung's Ocean Mode?
Ocean Mode is a camera feature that allows select Galaxy phones — such as the Galaxy S24 Ultra, the Galaxy S25 Ultra, S26 Ultra, and the Galaxy Z Fold 7 — to capture more accurate underwater photos and videos.
Why is it needed? Water absorbs long-wavelength light, e.g., warm colors like reds and oranges, which is why underwater photos and videos captured with standard equipment appear darker and bluer than they do to the naked eye.
Dedicated underwater cameras correct these distortions, and Samsung's Ocean Mode does the same through software at a much lower cost. Well, it's technically free if you already have a phone that supports it.
What Ocean Mode isn't
Ocean Mode does not improve your phone's water resistance. It won't change the Samsung device's ingress protection rating.
The usual limitations still apply. Galaxy phones are rated for fresh water, not salt water, and Samsung does not recommend using them in the ocean.
In fact, Samsung coded the following notification to pop up whenever users activate Ocean Mode:
Ocean mode does not make your phone waterproof. To prevent damage, only use this feature when your phone is sealed inside a housing designed for diving.
If you want to use Ocean Mode underwater, you'll need a third-party housing. Samsung does not sell waterproof cases for this purpose.
Why Samsung developed Ocean Mode
Ocean Mode started as a niche tool tied to Samsung's partnership with Seatrees, a Sustainable Surf program focused on restoring coral reefs and coastal ecosystems. Originally, Ocean Mode was not meant for the public.
Before Ocean Mode, restoration teams relied on dedicated underwater cameras to document marine life without color distortion. The downside is that such equipment is bulky and relatively difficult to handle. It's also quite expensive.
That's where Samsung came to the rescue. The company realized that modern Galaxy S Ultra cameras were already capable of high-quality underwater capture — they just needed software to correct the color loss.
Ocean Mode was built to solve that and was deployed exclusively for phones used for coral restoration efforts. The mode allows divers to document coral reefs using one or two Galaxy phones inside waterproof housings, making mapping and monitoring faster, more accessible, and less expensive.
But after a few years of exclusivity, Ocean Mode is now reaching the public through an Expert RAW app update for select Galaxy devices running One UI 8.5 beta.
We expect Ocean Mode to reach more people and Galaxy phones once the beta testing phase concludes and One UI 8.5 goes live.
But remember, even if your phone receives Ocean Mode through an Expert RAW update, it won't make it more water resistant. You'll need a dedicated waterproof case.
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