iPad A16 (2025) HDR not working on YouTube

First, perhaps understand the Apple Support Community is a user-to-user technical forum. Contributors here are all end-users, just like you. Other than the site Moderators, Apple neither monitor nor participate here. As such, if you hope to reach or receive a response from Apple via these forums, you will be disappointed.

Published specifications for the iPad A16 can be found here:

iPad 11-inch (A16) - Technical Specifications - Apple

The iPad A16 specifications state, as you correctly observe, support for HDR10 video playback. Key words here are "support for". Ultimately, the both the App used for playback (in this case YouTube) - and the source video material - must also be HDR10. In summary, the iPad hardware does support HDR10, but can only display HDR10 material if the App and streamed content are also using this video format.

If you are experiencing issue with the YouTube App or video content, you will need to seek assistance via the YouTube online help resources.

Just to make sure you’re watching HDR on YouTube. Go to this HDR video on YouTube. Hit the cog to change the video resolution… select higher video resolution… select advanced… if the video is playing back HDR on your iPad it should say so.

Sidenote When playing back HDR on my tv. For a few seconds on the screen it will say HDR. The iPad doesn’t show this tag. My old iPhone 12 plays back HDR. I have an iPad streaming 4K HDR content to YouTube.

https://youtu.be/sh1R-l1Q44k?si=TvADLkcJQDVmIhXe

Open the setting icon and look there, . It should say it next to each resolution setting. I’ve never seen the word HDR on the cog icon…but that does not say it’s not so on that particular iPad. YouTube just does things differently on those two iPads… which is not uncommon for 2 different devices for any app.

Op is right. I’m very tech savvy and I have an iPad Pro 11 inch fourth generation and this iPad does support HDR systemwide but also of a little over a year ago my iPad no longer supports HDR anywhere and there’s no mention in the settings anymore of HDR such as in the Photos app settings, where it would have the “Display full dynamic range” setting. Whenever I watch a movie the screen appears just like an LCD screen now. This issue is not very well documented but we’re not the only ones that are suffering from this which is very frustrating because I do have an HDR workflow and editing videos and I also enjoy and pay extra to be able to stream movies in Dolby, which I can no longer do. My software is up-to-date and not a single iOS 26 update fix this issue.

[Edited by Moderator]

the iPad plays HDR… it’s the YouTube app that’s playing the HRD. There is no reason to call tech support. The OP doesn’t know what he’s talking about. I outlined below how to check if the video on YouTube is HRD.

tailevnn wrote:

Ipad Air has HDR on youtube but ipad A16 (2025) didn't.

Do you have Apple support phone number in Vietnam?

[Edited by Moderator]

All Apple devices will play HDR from YouTube.

You mean YouTube settings in the settings on the iPad. If so there isn’t a setting for HDR.

Check in the video as I described below on the YouTube channel.

YouTube supports HDR10 content. I upload and livestream 4K HDR10 everyday.

I have the second longest running YouTube channel… March 2005 . I think I know what I’m talking about.

I’ve never seen the word HDR on the cog icon…but that does not say it’s not so on that particular iPad.

It seems to be a difference between browser access (with the word) and the YT app (no word).