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United States Google's Photo Sphere is still present on older Pixels
UPDATE: 2024/03/01 12:24 EST BY MANUEL VONAU
CORRECTION: Photo Sphere was never removed from older Pixels
We wrote in this article that the option to take Photo Spheres came back to older Pixel phones as part of a Google Camera app update. However, Photo Sphere was never removed from older Pixel phones; it has just never made it to the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro. We regret the error, and updated this story to correct it.
Summary
- Photo Sphere is available on older Pixel phones.
- It hasn't made it to the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro.
- The feature was introduced in 2012, and it was a little known but beloved on Google phones until the latest generation of Pixel handsets.
The option to take Photo Spheres is still available on Pixels that previously supported the feature. Only Google’s latest phones, the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro, are left without the beloved functionality, but it's available on the Pixel 7 series and older.
A recent update to Google Camera version 9.2.113.604778888.19, spotted by PourJarsInReservoirs on Reddit, made many people believe that the feature was finally coming to the Pixel 8 series. Some people on the post were even saying that they got the feature again after it disappeared from their older Pixel phones, but this is very likely incorrect. We can confirm as much on our units, with a Pixel 8 Pro not showing the option while it’s right there on the Pixel 7 Pro and the Pixel 6.
The Pixel 8 killed my favorite Google Camera feature
I took my last Photo Sphere, and I even didn't realize itWith the update to the new Camera version, Photo Spheres haven’t changed at all. Google is likely done developing it. This means that you still need to be careful to frame and move your camera correctly to avoid poorly stitched images, which has always been a problem for Photo Sphere ever since it was introduced more than a decade ago.
That’s right, Google introduced Photo Sphere in 2012 as an advanced panorama option to create 360-degree images of anything you could think of, all without relying on specialized hardware. The feature has since been part of every Google phone from Nexus to Pixel, at least up until the Pixel 8.
Photo Sphere is back on the Pixel 7 Pro (left) and the Pixel 6 (right)
Photo Sphere used to be a big headlining feature to live alongside Google+, the company’s long-defunct attempt at creating a social media network. The writing has been on the wall for the feature for a while. Google previously killed off its Street View app, which allowed you to take Photo Spheres on all Android phones and even the iPhone. With that in mind, it’s good to see that Google decided to leave the feature intact to those who still love it and rely on it on a regular basis, even if it may be fewer and fewer people.
