Although all phones come with their default camera app depending on what the manufacturer thinks is best for clamping the lenses, there are other alternative camera apps on Android. AND GCam is one of the best optionsthis is the official Google camera that natively integrates its Pixel mobiles, but also extends to other devices.
Very recently, version 8.8 of GCam was released, bringing particularly striking new features in certain sections such as night mode. Well we give you 10 tips for squeezing those functions and make your photos move like never before, thanks to GCam.
The first tip is how to install the app
If you don’t have a Google phone and you’re looking for “Gcam” (or “Google Camera”) app on Google Play, don’t worry. It’s not that we’re talking about a ghost app or that it’s disappeared, it’s just that the application is not “officially” available in the rest of Android. Does that mean it can’t be installed? Hopefully not.
There how to download and install GCam, in particular its latest version (8.8) requires the installation of an APK. In this case, you can find it on the Celso Azevedo website. It’s as simple as downloading the file and opening it to install.
This, yes, You need to grant permissions for installing apps from unknown origin. This can be done from the settings, usually in the ‘Applications’ section. However, if this option is disabled when you try to open the file, a warning will appear that includes quick access to settings to grant permission.
Google Camera (GCam)
Set the grid and say goodbye to crooked photos
If there’s a basic feature in any photo editing, it’s being able to rotate and straighten images when they come out skewed. However, this may involve cropping the image and if you don’t want to lose detail when placing the photo at the right angleit is better to define a grid.
This will help you better position the mobile when you go to shoot. And for that you have to access app settings (from camera mode, clicking the gear icon and going to “More settings”). In “Grid type” you can choose a 3×3, 4×4 or with a golden ratio.
By the way, we also recommend that you activate the framing suggestions which appear just above “Grid Type”, which will cause the app to show you little help messages so that the photo comes out in the best possible frame.
Change image format
It is not that GCam is characterized by offering a multitude of modes for the aspect ratio of the photographs, but it offers two very different ones. On the one hand, the format 16:9 for more panoramic photos and on the other hand the format 4:3 for squarer photos without actually being.
These options can be changed in settingsbut without the need to go to “More settings”, since they are one of the first to appear when entering a photography mode.
Create your own “Street View” with spherical photographs
A really striking feature of this application is that it allows create 360º photos. Attention, not to the panoramas, but to those which include absolutely the whole scene including the skies/ceilings and the floors. To do this, go to the tab at the bottom right and click on ‘Spherical photo’.
Once you’re there, you have to go moving depending on where the dot is on the screen, trying to ensure that the lens is always centered in relation to it (you will see as soon as you put it on that it is very intuitive). You have to capture each corner and when you are done you will see that you can open the final result in full screen and scroll the place with your fingers (or by moving your mobile) as with any other photograph in 360º.
Videos with the highest possible resolution
Out of the box, GCam can have standard resolution video recording configured. However, it is possible change recording even in 4K resolution if your mobile supports it. To do this, you must enter the settings, but this time from the video mode.
Enable HDR and RAW/JPEG monitoring
Continuing with the goal of wanting to take the best photos, a good way to achieve this is to use RAW mode photos. If your mobile supports it high quality format for images, you need to enable it in the settings. This time, yes, in “More settings”, then in “Advanced options”. In the same place, the option to manually control HDR will appear.
If you prefer to prioritize space over quality
With the higher quality formats, it is clear that photos and videos will also gain weight. As long as They could take up a lot of mobile storage. Whether it’s saving space temporarily or permanently, you can find options in GCam that contribute to this goal.
The first will be to lower the resolution of the videos and deactivate the RAW and the HDR which we have talked about in the previous points. The other thing is to go to “More settings” and enter the ‘Device Storage’ menu, where you will find different options that will allow you to save space including an additional option for this option to be disabled if there is enough space. The icing on the cake is quick access to the “Google Files” app to free up mobile space if needed.
Google Lens built into the camera as standard
The functions and efficiency of Google Lens make it one of the most powerful camera tools. Translate texts, scan QR codes, find out which car model you found on the street, find out what type of plant is the one our neighbor has on the balcony… In short, a rather interesting tool for transport integrated as standard in the camera app without having to open the Google app.
Therefore, you need to ensure that the option is enabled in GCam, which may be Check in app settings. In fact, it’s among the first with a tab called “Google Lens Suggestions.”
What do you want the mobile buttons to do?
We do not always take the mobile in the best way when taking a photo, to the point that touching the screen with our fingers is uncomfortable and sometimes even impossible. However, in GCam we can adjust volume buttons to act as zoom or shutter. And yes, like the rest, it’s in the app settings. Specifically, in “Gestures”.
Activate the best signal when the timer photo is taken
If you take a photo with the self-timer, but you are not in front of the screen, but in front of the camera, you may be moving before the photo is taken, or you may spend several extra seconds ask in vain.. Also, you can make the flash emit flashes as a signal know that, when they are finished, the photograph will have been taken.
To do this, you need to go to ‘More settings’ (yes, again) and click on ‘Advanced options’. At the very end you will see that the last option that appears is ‘timer light‘, whose corresponding tab must be activated for this function to activate when taking photos with a self-timer.
Bonus track (on some phones): make this your default camera app
If you like the experience of using GCam enough to want to convert it in the default mobile camera appyou should know that in some devices it is possible, but not in all.
All manufacturers provide the option to change the default app for web browser, phone, sms or launcher, but they don’t always add the camera as one of them. Some Xiaomi (not all) allow it. Just go to settings and search for “default apps” or “default apps” and see if in the list of options you can change the camera app.
In Xataka Android | Phones with the best camera of 2023
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