Top 9 Google Camera Tips and Tricks to Use Like a Pro

Google stunned the smartphone industry by introducing the Pixel series in 2016. The devices quickly became the agenda of the city thanks to Google’s superior camera with HDR+ technology, thanks to smart software tricks. For the past few years, the Pixel has been seen as one of the best smartphones for photography. Providing consistent good results is one thing and providing a capable camera is another. Fortunately, Google is tweaking and updating the camera app with UI changes and new functionality.

The search giant is leveraging its AR platform and tools like Google Lens to make the Google Camera app the centerpiece of the ultimate camera experience.

In this post, we’re going to talk about the nine best Google Camera tips and tricks to use like a pro.

Note: I’m testing Google Camera v7.2 on my Pixel XL running Android 10. The reason I’m talking about the app version is because there are dozens of Google Camera ports that you can install on your Galaxy devices as well as other devices. Budget deals like Redmi and Poco phones. Most of the cheats mentioned below apply to all users who have Google Camera v7.2 installed on their non-Pixel devices.

1. Add Shortcuts for Selfie and Camcorder

In response to Apple’s 3D Touch, Google introduced the function of long pressing the app icon to access shortcuts. Google Camera supports this. You can long press the icon and quickly switch to selfie or video camera. And even better, you can long-press these toggle buttons and place them on the home screen as shortcuts.

This is how I use it. I added two shortcuts for selfie and video camera with the main camera in the middle.

2. Use Night Mode

Do you know why enthusiasts are rushing to XDA for the GCam port for their new device? All for Google’s class-leading image processing that delivers superior results with balance exposure, better dynamic range and night vision.

In 2017, Google introduced night vision for Pixel devices. It supports all Pixel devices and is included with most GCam builds.

In a dark situation, open the Google Camera app and it will automatically suggest you use the night vision function. If it is not visible, manually switch to night vision and capture the image with a steady hand. Let Google work the magic and get ready to blow up.

3. Turn off HDR+

Google turns on HDR+ toggle by default to provide better results. But the option is not always necessary in all cases. Also, HDR+ images require extra processing time to output. With budget devices, the whole experience can feel a bit slow.

Turning off the HDR+ option speeds up the process. Just tap the little arrow in the camera app and turn the option off.

4. Use Fast Social Sharing

Google can export images directly to Skype, Slack, etc. added a neat shortcut to quickly share with Tap the little arrow above, go to Settings > Social sharing and switch between the respective platforms. You can select up to three apps at a time.

Now, when you take a photo, a small arrow will appear above the viewfinder menu. Tap on it and share the pictures in your favorite IM app.

5. Customize Gestures

Google allows you to take pictures, switch cameras, zoom, etc. has implemented several useful gestures to perform operations.

From the camera app, go to Settings > Motion. You can set the volume button to act as a shutter, zoom or simple volume action. Similarly, the double-tap option lets you zoom the camera or take a selfie from the primary.

I’ve set the volume button to take a photo as it’s useful when taking pictures in landscape mode.

6. Use Google Lens and Google Translate Integration

The Google Camera app is tightly integrated with other Google products such as Lens and Translate.

Tap the More button from the camera app and select the Google Lens menu. It will switch to different UI and present a bunch of options. Using the private mode, you can directly translate from unknown languages, extract text from documents or images, search for the term, shop for products and even find information about food.

This is a useful plugin and does not require you to download 3-4 additional applications.

7. Use Stickers and Playmojis

These are the fun elements I mentioned earlier. Switch the toggle to more and choose a playground option. The camera switches to a different layout and lets you add text and stickers over images.

My favorite function is Playmojis. It allows you to add Pokémon and many other characters to images. You can download different packages for free. Then place it in an image and tap the shutter button.

8. Use the Wide View Display

I mostly prefer to use this option as it provides the full view of the camera UI. Tap the arrow above and select a wide frame to see the viewfinder menu clearly.

9. Enable RAW Photography

Google also lets you shoot RAW images. Go to Settings > Advanced and turn on the RAW option.

The application creates RAW folder in device storage. Useful for professionals who want full control when editing an image on the desktop.

Release the Google Camera App

As you can see from the tricks above, the Google Camera app is a beautiful combination of useful customization options, tools like Lens and Translate, and fun elements like Stickers and Playmojis.

Also, anyone can install the app on their budget device and experience superior photography with HDR+ and night vision.

Next: Want to install Google Camera on your Android phone? Read the guide below to perform the action.