The camera for the Google Pixel has been one of the main selling points of the smartphone, receiving the highest rating ever of 89 from image review website DxOMark.
To support the topnotch hardware, the smartphone comes with Google Camera v4.2, a version that adds a variety of features to the camera software but is exclusive to the Pixel.
Fortunately for non-Pixel owners, developers on XDA have been able to create a modified version of Google Camera v4.2 that allows the software to be ported to other smartphones. The app can now be sideloaded, but it will not install over the current Google Camera version on a device.
The camera app is supposed to be compatible with all devices powered by Android 7.0 Nougat, but so far, it seems that it only works with the Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P devices. If you own these smartphones that were released last year, you might want to take a look at what Google Camera v4.2 has to offer.
One of the major additions to Google Camera v4.2 is shooting grids, with the option to activate the feature located beside the HDR and flash buttons. There are three kinds of shooting grids available in the app, namely a 3 x 3 grid, a 4 x 4 grid and a Golden Ratio grid.
Also included in Google Camera v4.2 is the option to lock the app's focus and exposure by making a long press on the screen. While taking a picture, users can lock the focus on a certain area through a long press, and an exposure slider will then appear at the side of the display.
On top of the new features, the Google Camera v4.2 app is also reported to be working much faster compared to the previous versions. There are also new animations and options within the app's settings menu.
In a Reddit thread discussing the port, Redditor JediBurrell offered advice to users who would be installing the ported Google Camera v4.2, as there will be two Camera apps in the smartphone. The App Info of the original Camera app will have to be disabled, and when the power button is double tapped, the smartphone will ask if the user would like to open Google Camera v4.2. If the "always" option is chosen, then it will function similarly to a simple update. The process will have to be reversed once the official Google Camera v4.3 comes out though, but that will likely not happen any time soon.
