Smartphone cameras have come a long way in the last few years, and even budget phones these days have pretty good cameras. You can take nice photos with a smartphone for under Rs 15,000 today. However, if you’re using phones other than the Google Pixel smartphones, which are said by many to have the best smartphone camera, you may have noticed that the image quality on other smartphones (even some flagships) isn’t even comparable. Fortunately, the image quality can be greatly improved by using a different camera app than the default app that comes with the device. Yes, I’m talking about the much talked about Google Camera Mod (more commonly known as GCam Mod or GCam port) which actually makes a noticeable difference in the image output of your smartphone camera.
So, if you are wondering how to install GCam Mod on your Android smartphone, we have brought you this detailed guide.
Prerequisites
Before installing GCam Mod on your phone, there are a few things you should check:
- Camera2 API support (we’ll talk about Camera2 API later in this article).
- If the Camera2 API is not supported, you need to enable it on your phone (we’ll discuss this later).
- GCam Mod APK (you guessed it, we’ll discuss this later)
- You will also need patience.
What exactly is the Camera2 API?
The Camera2 API is a framework that allows developers to gain access to detailed camera controls such as exposure, focus or ISO, which they can then add in the form of advanced features to third-party apps to offer Android users an enhanced photo capture. experience. This API is a Successor to Android’s original camera API and uses a pipeline model that allows developers to gain direct access to camera hardware.
Third-party developers can use the Camera2 API to give you full manual control over your phone’s sensor, lens, and flash to provide better frame rates (30fps burst mode), RAW capture support, HDR+ controls, and other smart features. Google Camera uses some sophisticated algorithms and AI functions in its app to take some stunning photos. Here are all the camera controls that the Camera2 API offers:
I don’t want to hurt you but Camera2 API was first introduced four years ago at Google I/O 2014 Next to the debut of Android 5.0 Lollipop. It’s been quite some time since the Camera2 API was released, but even today, not all phone manufacturers have implemented the same for their devices.
Many flagship and mid-range smartphones now come with the Camera2 API, but it is not required to be enabled by default. Some phone manufacturers are using some Camera2 API features to give users manual controls, filter support and other nifty features, but full support is still missing on the majority of phones.
If you are wondering if your Android phone supports Camera2 API, here is a nifty way to check it:
How To Check If Your Phone Supports Camera2 API
To see if any of your Android smartphones support Camera2 API, simply install Camera2 API Probe app (Free) from Play Store. Just install the application and launch it.
As you can see in the screenshot above, the Camera2 API Probe app lists: “Hardware Support Level” for both rear and front cameras with Camera ID 0 and 1 respectively. It shows information about Camera2 API capabilities supported by your Android smartphone and here is the meaning of each camera level:
- HERITAGE: These Android phones only support Camera1 API. No Camera2 API features are offered here.
- ANNOYED: These phones support some, but not all, Camera2 API features.
- FULLY FULL: These phones (including the Poco F1) support all major features of the Camera2 API.
- LEVEL 3: These devices support YUV reprocessing and RAW image capture with additional output stream configurations.
This means that ZenFone Max Pro M1 does not include Camera2 API support and same support must be enabled before installing Google Camera Mod. Nokia 7 Plus ‘Level_3 compatible’ and modified camera app can be installed directly on this smartphone.
How to Enable Camera2 API
If your phone has the Camera2 API enabled, you’re almost ready. However, don’t worry if your phone doesn’t support Camera2 API because you can enable Camera2 API yourself by rooting your device and editing the “build.prop” file on your phone or using Magisk to activate it. Camera2 API. Whichever path you choose is up to you and here we will explain both processes to some extent.
Note: Rooting an Android device is not a very difficult task, but it depends a lot on the device, so it is not possible to explain in detail here. For a detailed, step-by-step tutorial, we recommend going to XDA and searching for rooting guides for your smartphone.
Editing build.prop
If you want to edit the build.prop file and you are not using the Magisk module, all you have to do is download the BuildProp Editor (Free).
- Launch the app and give it root permissions. Next, tap on the edit icon.
- Enter the following line at the end of the build.prop file and then tap the save icon.
persist.camera.HAL3.enabled=1
- Simply restart your phone; Camera2 API should now be enabled.
Using the Magisk Module
Your phone has a Magisk Module that you can also use to enable the Camera2 API. module called ‘Camera2API enabler‘ It’s available through XDA and you can easily install it on your phone using Magisk Manager and it will activate the Camera2 API for you.
How To Install Google Camera Mod On Your Android Phone?
After enabling Camera2 API on your phone or if you skipped all this because Camera2 API is already enabled on your phone, you just need to install Google Camera Mod on your phone.
Choosing the perfect mode for your phone is a bit of trial and error, but you can go here: this website and browse the available Google Camera mods for your phone. Mostly, if Developers like Arnova8G2 are developing a mod for your phone, this must be the best.
Note: If you can’t find the best Google Camera Mod for your phone, comment below and we’ll guide you personally.
1. Reality
- Realme 6 Pro (download)
- Realme 6 (download)
- Realme 5 Pro (download)
- real 5 (download)
- Realme 3 Pro (download)
- real 3 (download)
- Realme 2 Pro (download or download)
- real 1 (download)
- Realme X2 (download)
- Realme X2 Pro (download)
- Realme X (download or download)
- Realme XT (download)
2. Xiaomi
- Poco F1 (download)
- Poco X2 (download)
- Redmi Note 9 Pro (download)
- Redmi Note 9 Pro Max (download)
- Redmi Note 4 (download or download)
- Redmi Note 5 Pro, 6 Pro (download)
- Redmi Note 7, 7S, 7 Pro (download)
- Redmi Note 8 Pro (download)
- Redmi Note 8 (download)
- Redmi7 (download)
- Redmi K20 / Mi 9T / Redmi K20 Pro (download)
- Redmi 8 (download)
- Mi A3 (download)
- Mi A2 (download)
- Mi A1 (download)
- Mi A2 Lite (download)
3. Asus
- ZenFone Max Pro M1 (download If you are using Android P, download if you are using Android Q)
- Asus ZenFone Max Pro M2 (download)
- Asus 6, 6Z (Download APK, XML Configuration for Android 10 / Download APK for Android 9)
- Asus Zenfone 5Z (download for cake, download for Q)
4. Nokia
- Nokia 7.1 (download)
- Nokia 7.2 (download)
- Nokia 6.1 Plus (download)
- Nokia 6.1 (download for cake, download for Q)
- Nokia 7 Plus (download, XML)
- Nokia 8.1 (download)
- Nokia 7.2 (download)
- Other Nokia Devices (download)
5. OnePlus
- OnePlus3 (download)
- OnePlus 5, 5T (download or download, XML Configuration)
- OnePlus 6, 6T (download)
- OnePlus 7, 7 Pro, 7T, 7T Pro (Download APK, XML Configuration, Enable Assist Camera [Magisk Module])
6. Samsung
- Samsung Galaxy A71 (download)
- Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite (download)
- Galaxy S9, S9+, S10, S10+ Exynos variant (download)
- Galaxy S8 Series Exynos variant (download)
- Galaxy Note 10, Note 10+ Exynos Variant (downloadyou can also try this GCam APK for other Exynos based devices)
- Galaxy Note 9 Exynos variant (download)
- Galaxy S10, S10+ Snapdragon Variant (download)
- Galaxy Note 10, Note 10+ Snapdragon Variant (download)
7. Motorola’s
- Motorola One Power (Download Android 10Download Android 9)
- Moto One Action (download)
- Moto G5 Plus, G5s Plus (download or download)
8. Others
- Oppo Reno 10X Zoom (download)
- LG G7 ThinQ (download, configuration)
- Honor Game (download)
- Honor Skin 20 (downloadyou can also try this GCam APK for other Kirin based devices)
- Vivo Z1 Pro (download)
What Difference Does GCam Mode Make?
If you’re wondering what difference Google Camera Mode can make, we have a video on smartphone photography tips where we show you how Google Camera Mode can improve your phone’s picture quality. Plus, it will bring Features like Night Vision Depending on whether the developer has implemented these features yet or not, you can also transfer them to your phone.
Take Better Photos with Google Camera on Any Android Phone
That ends our guide on how to install Google Camera mod on any Android phone. Hopefully, you can run the Google Camera mod on your phone without too much hassle. However, if you run into any problems, just comment below; We will definitely try to help you.