Some Useful Google Camera Tips

At first glance, Google’s Camera app looks surprisingly simple—nothing but a viewfinder and a shutter release. Once you start tapping and swiping, though, you’ll find a bevy of hidden options, ranging from a self-timer and exposure settings to a panorama mode and even the ability to create a Street View-like “photo sphere.”

Snap photos with the volume buttons
Go ahead and press a volume button—and when you do, you’ll start snapping.
Take a selfie

Look closely, though, and you’ll see a small, three-dot “overflow” button in the corner of the viewfinder (either the top or bottom corner, depending on how you’re holding your Android device.)

Tap it, and a series of new buttons will slide into view, including one that looks like a phone with a lens and a little arrow. Tap that button to toggle between your device’s rear and front-facing lenses.

Set the self timer
Just tap the three-dot overflow button, tap the button that looks like an alarm clock with a slash through it, then pick a timer setting—either three seconds or 10.

Once you’ve picked a self-timer setting, the interval you picked will appear right next to the overflow button.

Take charge of the flash
Tap the overflow button, then tap the flash button to switch between three settings: auto, on, and off.

If you’ve picked any flash setting besides auto, a flash icon will appear next to the overflow button.

Focus where you want to focus
Just tap anywhere on the viewfinder screen to make Google Camera refocus the image and change the exposure level.

Change the exposure manually
Tap the three-dot overflow button again, then tap the two-tone square button with the plus and minus signs. When you do, Google Camera’s exposure settings will appear above the shutter release; tap +1 or +2 to bump up the exposure a bit, or -1 or -2 to dial it down.

Activate High Dynamic Range mode to deal with high-contrast scenes
To turn on HDR mode, tap the overflow button, then toggle on the HDR+ setting. If you have a newer Nexus 6, 5X, or 6P handset, you’ll also have the option of an auto-HDR setting.

Take a quick look at your most recent snapshots
If you want to review the photo you just snapped, tap the bubble that appears just above the overflow button; when you do, your most recent snapshot will slide into view.

Add some lens blur to your shots
To get started, swipe in from the left side of the screen to open the effects drawer, then tap Lens Blur. Point the lens on your subject, tap the shutter release, then tilt your Android device slowly, following the on-screen guide arrow.

Make a panoramic or 'fisheye' image
First, swipe in from the left edge of the display to open the feature drawer, then tap Panorama. Next, tap the three-dot overflow button to pick a format for your panoramic shot: landscape, portrait, square or an exaggerated “fisheye” view.

When you’re ready, aim the lens and tap the shutter release. Next, you’ll begin a process of making the circle in the middle of the viewfinder fit over a series of large white dots; Google Camera will snap a photo each time the circle fits over a dot.

Once you’ve completed the circle-and-dot game, the app will stitch the photos together into a single image.

Create a “photo sphere”
First, swipe in from the left side of the screen to reveal the feature drawer, then tap Photo Sphere. Tap the shutter release, then start aiming the viewfinder so the circle on the screen fits over the various white dots. Be prepared to (slowly) spin all the way around—up and down, left and right. When you’re done, the Camera app will need anywhere from a few seconds to several minutes to stitch the images together.

Once that’s done, you can swipe in from the right side of the screen to see the result. Tap the Photo Sphere button to the right of the Share button to explore the image Street View-style, then start swiping around. You can also tap the compass button in the corner of the screen to pan around by waving your Android device in the air.

Tweak your photo and video resolution settings
Swipe in from the left edge of the display, then tap the settings button (the one that looks like a gear) in the corner of the screen. Next, tap Resolution & quality, then (under the Camera and Videos heading) tap the settings for your front and rear cameras to boost or lower the resolution for stills and videos.