How the Galaxy S26 Ultra camera experience is enhanced by Super Steady and Horizontal Lock

The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra has two video tools that keep handheld footage smooth and level even when you are moving: Super Steady^[1] and Horizontal Lock.

The two do different jobs — Super Steady reduces the shake that comes from filming on the move, while Horizontal Lock keeps the horizon straight when the phone tilts or rotates in your hand.  

Together they make the Galaxy S26 Ultra a more capable video camera for walking, hiking, action, and other everyday movement.

What Super Steady and Horizontal Lock bring to the Galaxy S26 Ultra camera:

Super Steady is a video stabilisation mode built into the Galaxy S26 Ultra’s standard Video mode. When you turn it on, the camera works to reduce the visible shake that naturally happens when you film handheld, especially while you are walking or moving. The result is footage that looks smoother and more controlled than what an unstabilised handheld shot would normally produce.

Super Steady is a useful default for any video you film on the move. Because it works inside the standard Video mode, you do not need to switch shooting modes to use it. You simply turn it on when the moment calls for it and continue filming as you normally would.

Horizontal Lock is an addition to Super Steady that keeps your footage level. While Super Steady reduces shake along the direction the phone is travelling, Horizontal Lock corrects for rotation. If the phone tilts to one side or rotates while you are filming, the horizon stays straight in the frame.

This works through real-time motion analysis using the Galaxy S26 Ultra’s gyroscope and accelerometer. The phone tracks how it is being moved and counteracts rotation as it happens, so the result is footage that stays oriented even when your grip on the phone shifts. For action footage where the phone can move in multiple directions at once, this is a useful addition.

Here’s how you can enable Super Steady and Horizontal Lock in the camera app:

Once Super Steady is enabled, the camera continues recording in the standard Video mode. You do not lose access to other Video mode features. Super Steady uses a slightly narrower field of view to provide the stabilisation range it needs, so framing may look a little tighter than standard Video mode while the feature is active.

Super Steady is built for situations where you cannot keep the phone perfectly still. A few practical examples:

In each of these cases, Super Steady on the Galaxy S26 Ultra reduces the shake that would otherwise make the footage harder to watch. With Horizontal Lock on as well, footage stays level even when the phone is moving in multiple directions at once, which is useful for outdoor action, sports, or anywhere your grip on the phone might shift.

Most smartphones include some form of video stabilisation built into their standard recording, which helps with small handheld movements during normal use. Super Steady on the Galaxy S26 Ultra is a step beyond this. It is designed specifically for higher-movement situations where standard stabilisation would not be enough to produce smooth footage.

The combination of Super Steady and Horizontal Lock is also distinct. Smooth footage is one thing, but keeping the horizon level during movement is a more specific challenge that requires tracking the phone’s rotation in real time and correcting for it. This is what makes Super Steady with Horizontal Lock particularly useful for action and movement scenarios on the Galaxy S26 Ultra.

Super Steady is most useful when you are moving, but there are situations where standard Video mode without Super Steady is a better fit. For stationary shots taken with the phone resting on a stable surface or a tripod phone mount, you do not need the extra stabilisation, and the standard Video mode gives you the full field of view to work with.

The same applies to deliberate, slow camera movement, such as pans across a landscape, slow tracking shots, or any case where you want full control over the frame. Standard Video mode is also the better choice when you want the maximum field of view for wide-angle composition. Super Steady is a tool to reach for when conditions call for it rather than a default for every video.

Super Steady and Horizontal Lock add a practical, everyday layer to the Galaxy S26 Ultra's video system: they make handheld footage usable in the situations where smartphone video most often falls short — movement, uneven ground, and shots you cannot line up perfectly.

That makes them most useful when you are walking, hiking, cycling, or following fast action, and for anyone who films on the move — travellers, parents, and content creators who want to capture a moment without setting up a tripod. In those situations, Super Steady with Horizontal Lock is what keeps the Galaxy S26 Ultra's footage smooth and level.

^{[1] Super Steady: Super Steady results may vary depending on editing method and/or shooting conditions.}