Google Pixel 8 tipped for big camera change — here’s your first look

Most of the Google Pixel 8 rumors we’ve seen so far have covered the upgraded specs and hardware we can expect for this year’s lineup. But the latest leak suggests big updates are headed for the Google Camera app as well, which could get its first big UI overhaul in years. Google’s already known for making some of the best camera phones out there, and these improvements could make it easier than ever to snap great pictures. 

Reliable Google leaker Kamila Wojciechowska at Android Authority, who cited an anonymous source inside Google, published screenshots giving us our first look at the revamped camera interface. Right off the bat, you’ll notice the menu carousel at the bottom of the screen has been replaced with two options: photo or video mode. A separate switch under the mode selection bar lets you toggle between the two. Once you choose whether you’re taking a photo or video, you’ll see the same carousel of mode options as before for each. The Motion tab has been shuffled around a bit as well, now split into Long Exposure and Action Pan for increased visibility. 

Google is also considering swapping the position of the camera switch and gallery button as part of this new redesign, taking a page from the layout found on Samsung and iPhones, Wojciechowska said. In addition to tapping the icon for the settings pop-up menu, just as you can on current Pixel phones, you’ll also be able to access it by swiping up as opposed to swiping down on the viewfinder.

Lastly, the video stabilization menu has been scrapped and replaced with a dedicated pop-up menu, though the options — Standard, Locked, and Active —will remain the same.

The Google Camera interface is long overdue for a facelift, as it’s remained largely unchanged since the Pixel 4 came on the scene in 2019. Though it remains unclear whether this revamped UI will come to older Pixel phones as well as newer ones.

Of course, take all of this with a grain of salt for now. We likely still have several more weeks to go until we learn more. Google’s historically released new phones in the fall, with Pixels 1 through 7 all arriving in October, and it doesn’t seem likely to break that streak, even with the Pixel Fold launch still fresh in our memory. 

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