What is Ocean Mode on the Galaxy S26 Ultra and how does it work?

Watch This Product

Watch products with ShopSavvy for price drops, stock alerts, deals and more.

Ask Agent About This Product

nullOcean Mode is one of those features that sounds cooler than it actually is for most people.

What it does:

When you're underwater, water absorbs red and orange light first. That's why underwater photos look blue-green. Ocean Mode is Samsung's color correction that brings back natural colors in underwater footage.

It was originally a Galaxy Watch Ultra feature. Samsung brought it to the S26 Ultra through the Expert RAW camera app.

The awkward part:

Samsung added this underwater photography mode but tells you not to take your phone underwater. At least not in ocean water (salt damages the phone) or pool water (chlorine damages seals).

IP68 is tested in fresh, still water for 30 minutes. Not the ocean. Not a pool. So you've got a feature named "Ocean Mode" on a phone you shouldn't bring to the ocean.

When you can actually use it:

If you put your phone in a waterproof housing or pouch, Ocean Mode makes sense. The housing protects the phone while Ocean Mode corrects colors.

Looking through aquarium glass? That works. Phone stays dry, Ocean Mode fixes color cast.

How to find it:

Ocean Mode isn't in the regular camera app. Download Expert RAW from the Galaxy Store. It's free, with manual controls and RAW capture.

The realistic take:

If you want underwater photography, get a GoPro or waterproof pouch. Don't rely on IP68 in environments it wasn't tested for.

Ocean Mode is useful with additional protection. Otherwise, it's a color tool you'll probably never use.

Check Galaxy S26 Ultra camera features and pricing.