It doesn’t matter if your phone’s camera leaves something you desire or the app doesn’t behave the way you want: there’s a way to get more than just good capture results. That’s why I always recommend: GCam or Google camera modificationIt is a must download program for me. I often mark before and after photos on my phones.

There is one element that leaves its mark on the smartphone experience: its camera. It is not uncommon for every manufacturer to increase the number of cameras to make their phones more attractive. often with some of little value (why do we want a macro camera?). It is obvious that as the price of the phone decreases, its camera gets worse. However, we have come to a point where even the cheapest mobile phones can defend themselves if the conditions are not difficult. And there’s help to make it easier.

GCam can raise the bar for any mobile camera

Capture interface of a GCam version

Google Pixel takes very good photos in general, regardless of its model and price. And they do this for a reason: Google’s Artificial Intelligence applied in the image retrieval process, to its composition and further processing. Thanks to these features carried over to GCam, the importance of camera hardware becomes less important; Since neither the Pixel nor any other Android with a Google camera is guaranteed to take a Pulitzer shot, it always works wonders without it.

Google applies studio treatment to images, generally balancing dynamic range with remarkable success, facial processing does not overly wash out details, applying a natural and photographic bokeh, saves light even in aggressive night shots and generally achieves good results even with sensors that do not have extreme features. This entire AI-assisted process, from focusing to recording the image, is more or less successfully transferred to GCam.

GCam installation

Problem: There is no single Google Camera mode.. So GCam has thousands of variants, dozens of developers, multiple versions. There is no single camera app for one phone, nor is there a guarantee of compatibility for all of them, you have to try it. I often had to install several different GCams until I found the most suitable one for a particular mobile phone.

How to choose the best Google camera for your mobile phone? Based on my experience, these are the steps I took to choose one or the other.

• What is the power of the mobile phone on which you will install GCam? If it’s a high-end version, my advice is to try a newer version: The most current version currently being developed by modders is 9.2. If your phone is older or mid-range, look for a mature version of GCam: here are our top recommendations.
• Is it a low range? I have already said that GCam does not work miracles, especially on cheap mobile phones. If yours is too cheap, my advice is to aim for GCam GO, which is a shorter version of the Google camera and is just as functional. There are several versions here.
• Is your phone a Pixel? You already have a lot to gain here because your phone’s hardware is compatible with GCam as standard. My advice is also clear: Download an app that is as up-to-date and stable enough as possible. This way, you’ll enjoy most of the benefits of the Pixel 8 Pro, including manual controls. This is a good example.

The best place to follow new versions of the replaced Google camera is undoubtedly Celso Azevedo’s portal. Listed here are new developments from modders in both beta and stable versions. I recommend you mainly install the latter, because they are the ones that will work best for you. If your phone is not a Pixel, it is best to download a mature version.

Try several GCams until you find the one that works for you

It’s like a bowl of popcorn as soon as you sit down at the movie theater, once you start you can’t stop. Because trying different versions of GCam is a vice, especially when modders have managed to port over most of the Pixel’s functions and they work acceptably on your non-Google phone. Above, modified camera apps Includes lots of advanced settingsIt’s really a question of whether you like photography or not.

In my case, there is always a version of GCam ready for every mobile phone I get my hands on: In my private Telegram chat, I install the latest applications with the idea of ​​​​being instantly available on any phone. Results can be dramatically improved in scenes such as night scenesPortraits with great contrast between shadows and light are a delight, and personally focus tracking for moving subjects is on another level. Having these functions in a cheap Android’s camera app is almost a pipe dream, but it is possible.

Try it, download and install; If one GCam isn’t working properly for you, try another. Also, although Celso Azevedo is a very safe page, my advice is to check every APK you download with Virus Total. Taking good photos does not conflict with security.

Cover image | Ivan Linares

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