Google Camera gets a new UI design with the Pixel 8 Pro

Big updates to the Google Camera app are usually timed with new Pixel versions. For the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro, Google Camera is getting its first major UI redesign in years.

posted by Android AuthorityThere is a clear focus on placing controls at the bottom of the screen to improve accessibility.

The Settings dial at the top has been moved to the lower-left corner of the screen. Besides tapping the settings sheet, which mostly remains unchanged and still visible from the top, you can open it via a swipe-up gesture. The black bar that houses the preferences is now also home to the higher-level photo and video converter. (There is still a thick bar at the top of the screen as seen in all of today’s screenshots.)

This informs the mode/feature that is directly above it and now appears overlaid on the viewfinder for a more personalized user interface. On the camera side, from what is seen in today’s screenshots, you get:

• action pan
• prolonged exposure
• painting
• picture
• night sight
• panorama

For video:

• frying pan
• blur
• video: Install goes to settings menu with options “Standard”, “Secured”, and “Active”
• slow motion
• interval

The shutter button remains the same, but the front/back switch is now on the right and the last shot preview is on the left, which will be a pain for muscle memory. The zoom toggle is shown above, while the different sliders are still in the same position on the left and right edges.

Meanwhile, Google is working on Staggered HDR for “[speed] in the capture process and reduce the possibility of artifacts, thanks to shorter delay times between frames. There is also “Segmentation AWB” for “Apply different manipulations to select parts of a scene to make it more accurate.”

Finally, there’s an “adaptive touch” to “prevent overexposed shots and improve low-light photography” by adjusting/shortening the flash intensity depending on the scene, which may explain why this component is more visible this year.

Previously, the new Google Camera UI would likely make its way to newer phones, such as the Pixel 6 and newer, after the launch of the Pixel 8 series.