Update to the Google Camera app adds a popular feature

The update to version 6.2 of the Google Camera app comes with Dark mode and a few other changes, and it is rolling out to Pixel handsets via the Google Play Store. According to Android Police, the settings on the updated camera app will go into Dark mode when the Battery Saver is enabled. The report says that this works consistently with the Android Q beta installed, but not so much with Android 9 Pie.

Since the camera app already uses a black background, why add this feature? Well, if you're in a dark room or out at night and need to go into the Google Camera app's settings, you'll instantly be blinded by the white background used for that page. Why did Google have Dark mode enabled when the Battery Saver is turned on? Because if you have a phone with an AMOLED screen, a black background means fewer pixels need to be activated, which means that the phone will consume less battery power.

Another change can be seen when moving between the camera, video, portrait, and panorama settings in the app. Previously, when a user switched between camera and video, for example, he would see a black transition screen with the icon of the selected setting in the middle. With version 6.2, when switching between settings, the screen no longer turns black and instead shows what your camera is looking at. There is also a zoom in and out effect while the selected setting's icon remains in the middle of the screen. And there is one last change. When the flash is turned on for the front-facing selfie camera, the flash icon will appear on the display.

Remember, you need to have version 6.2 of the Google Camera app and a Pixel handset to enjoy all of these new goodies.