Have you noticed that your carefully edited Instagram photos look completely different once posted? Maybe they appear overly saturated, too contrasty, or just off compared to how they looked before uploading. If so, you’re not alone. Many users have been experiencing this frustrating issue, and there doesn’t seem to be an official fix from Instagram—yet.
We haven’t experienced this personally – but some of our clients have.
In this post, we’ll explore why this might be happening and what you can do to work around it.
Why Does Instagram Oversaturate/Under saturate Your Photos After Posting?
Instagram hasn’t officially acknowledged this issue, but based on user reports, a few possible explanations exist:
- Colour Profile Issues: Instagram seems to handle colour differently, often converting images to the sRGB colour space, which can cause shifts in saturation and contrast. Read more about colour types here
- Compression and Processing: When you upload a photo, Instagram compresses the file to reduce its size. This process can alter the colours, making them look more intense or washed out.
- Device Display Differences: Some users notice that the issue appears worse on certain screens (e.g., iPhones with True Tone enabled vs. other displays).
- A Recent Instagram Bug: Instagram frequently updates its app, and sometimes, these updates introduce unintended glitches—including problems with image rendering.
How to Fix Oversaturated/Undersaturated Instagram Photos
While there isn’t a perfect solution, here are some workarounds that might help:
1. Upload Your Photos in Low Power Mode
- Before uploading, turn on Low Power Mode (on iPhone) or Battery Saver (on Android).
- Upload your image as usual and check if the colours look more accurate.
Why does this work? My guess is that Instagram processes images differently when your phone is in a power-saving state.
2. Save and Export in the sRGB Color Profile
If you’re editing photos in Lightroom, Photoshop, or another editing app, make sure you’re exporting in the sRGB color space. Instagram tends to handle sRGB better, reducing the risk of unexpected color shifts.
3. Reduce the Contrast Before Uploading
Since Instagram tends to boost contrast after posting, you can slightly lower contrast and saturation in your editing app before uploading. This might balance things out once Instagram applies its processing.
4. Try Different File Formats
Some users have found that uploading PNGs instead of JPEGs can help maintain colour accuracy. While JPEGs are the default for Instagram, PNGs sometimes hold up better to compression.
5. Turn Off True Tone and Night Shift (iPhone Users)
If you’re viewing your posts on an iPhone, your display settings might be altering the appearance of colours. Try turning off True Tone and Night Shift in your phone’s display settings to see if that makes a difference.
Are Instagram Filters Changing Too?
Some of our clients have noticed that their Instagram filters are different or missing, and they are not imagining things. Other users have reported that their business accounts no longer have access to regular filters like Clarendon or Gingham. Instead, they’re seeing filters like Fade, Paris, and Midnight.
This could be a bug, or Instagram might be testing different filter sets for different users. If you’re affected, try:
- Updating your app
- Clearing the cache (Android users)
- Logging out and back in
- Reinstalling Instagram
Final Thoughts
Instagram’s oversaturation issue is annoying, but until Instagram officially fixes it, these workarounds should help. If you’ve found another trick that works, let us know! And if all else fails, remember—your audience likely won’t notice small colour shifts as much as you do.
