Samsung has confirmed that the Galaxy Z Fold8 and Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra will sometimes save photos at 12 megapixels even when users select the new 24 MP mode, and that this behavior is intentional rather than a bug.
Why Galaxy Z Fold8 switches to 12MP
Samsung introduced a 24-megapixel mode with the Galaxy S26 Ultra, and the Galaxy Z Fold8 models also support that setting. According to a post on Samsung Community Korea, the phones automatically revert to a 12-megapixel resolution under certain circumstances. The 24-megapixel mode is deactivated as soon as the smartphone’s body temperature reaches 45 °C to help prevent overheating, since processing higher-resolution photos requires more processing power and therefore generates more waste heat.
The company also lists other situations that trigger the fallback to 12 MP: when using digital zoom, in very dark environments, when the LED flash is used, in macro mode, or in burst mode. Samsung says the same automatic reduction in resolution applies to the Galaxy S26 Ultra.
Given that the launch took place in the middle of one of the hottest summers on record, reports from an increasing number of users about photos being saved at 12 MP despite the 24 MP setting are unsurprising.
