Why do my Samsung phone photos have a hazy glow around bright areas?

The effect is commonly called halation or bloom. Based on the answers, the most likely cause is your camera lens protector, especially if it has lower-quality glass, poor coatings, trapped residue, or smudges/fingerprints on either the protector or the original lens surface.

Anything oily or imperfect on the optical surface can scatter light, which makes bright areas glow and bleed into surrounding detail. That matches your symptoms much more than a camera setting change.

What to do:

• Clean the protector carefully.
• If possible, remove the protector and compare photos.
• Also check for smudges or residue on the actual lens area underneath.

If the glow disappears after removing or cleaning it, the protector was the cause. This kind of diffusion effect is actually similar to filters some people buy on purpose, but if you want sharp, clean images, a protector can definitely be the problem.