Pixel Camera update makes taking great photos even more effortless with its latest tweaks

The best part about Pixel phones are the updates that Google pushes out that constantly improve the experience. The brand’s latest June Pixel Feature Drop brought a lot of new and useful features, like Gemini Nano, an improved Google Recorder and Pixel Call Assist, and most importantly, vital updates to the Pixel Camera app.

While the update was mentioned in the Pixel Feature Drop that was released a few days ago, it looks like the new camera enhancements are rolling out to users now. The change was spotted by the folks at 9to5Google, which means, if you’re lucky enough, you’ll now also have access to these new settings.

Small changes with big impact

Source: 9to5Google

Now, we say lucky, because the update doesn’t seem to have rolled out to all users quite yet. In our testing, just downloading the latest Pixel Camera update that brings it to version 9.4.103.641377609.23 doesn’t unlock the new set of features. So you’ll most likely need to wait for Google to turn it on the server-side or get the Pixel Feature Drop as well.

Regardless, when you do get it, you’ll be treated to a variety of new enhancements that should come in handy when taking photos with your Pixel phone. The ability to manually select a lens is now rolling out to the Pro models of the Pixel 6, Pixel 7, along with the Pixel Fold.

While this isn’t a huge change, it does give users a clearer way to choose the lens that they want to shoot with. Users will have the ability to choose from one of three lens settings, with UW, W, and T becoming the new options. Of course, these letters correspond to ultrawide, wide and telephoto respectively.

Those that want quick access to some of the more advanced settings for the camera will be able to access the “Pro” settings tab, which will deliver a handful of options like being able to set the lens selection from auto to manual, along with the ability to choose from RAW and JPEG image settings.

The update also brings an improved experience with HDR+, with Pixel now being able to detect the best moments from a series of pictures, to ensure that you’re capturing your subject at their best. That means fewer throwaways and more photos where you’ll get open eyes and big smiles each time.

As stated before, the update is still rolling out to people, so you’ll either have to wait patiently to receive the June Pixel Feature Drop, or hope that it gets enabled with some server-side switch. Regardless, there are some excellent improvements to the camera that will no doubt have Pixel phone users taking more snaps over the long summer.