Global social networking giant Facebook is reportedly working on a smartwatch loaded with health features that it plans to sell next year. It seems like the company now wants to foray into the smartwatch market. According to a report from The Information, Face is building an Android-based smartwatch that it wants to sell as early as next year. Currently, it’s not yet clear whether the smartwatch will use Google’s Wear OS or its own operating system.
As per the report, the Facebook smartwatch will come loaded with various health and fitness features. Though these features are common in smartwatches, the report claims that the social media giant’s smartwatch may come with a unique feature that will allow users to send messages from the watch directly. The report also reveals Facebook’s plans to start selling this smartwatch next year, ie., 2022.
Facebook Smartwatch Will Work via Cellular Network
According to the report, the first-ever smartwatch from Facebook will work via a cellular connection for allowing users to send messages through its services. The smartwatch can also connect to other services or hardware of health and fitness companies like Peloton Interactive. Facebook has already been foraying into the hardware sector in the last few years. The tech giant’s virtual reality headset Oculus and video chatting device Portal are an example.
Apart from this, the company is also reportedly working on Ray-Ban smart glasses and an AR research initiative called Project Aria. Not just the hardware, reports claim that the company is also working on developing an app like Clubhouse. As per a NYT report, Facebook has directed its product team to create an app similar to Clubhouse.
It’s a fact that the social media company takes a keen interest in its rivals. The company either acquires its competitors, like WhatsApp and Instagram or creates something bigger to overshadow its products.
Cameras mounted on smartphones can do a lot of stuff nowadays than what you can imagine a few years ago. A smartphone can capture a full-feature length movie and no one would do. But hey, it is not just the cameras but video editors on smartphones that play a major role in transforming pieces of videos together. It could be anything from clipping unwanted parts to include a ginormous intro or a collection of videos stitched together as well. All this is possible because of video editing apps and when it comes to Android, there are a plethora of options to choose from.
Your Android smartphone comes with both free and paid video editors. In fact, there are so many choices that you will be confused but that’s why we are here. Apparently, we dig into the various video editor apps available on the Play Store to find out the 10 best FREE Video Editor apps available. Here’s the list arranged in descending order of its popularity on the Google Play Store.
Inshot is a professional video editor app available on Android devices that helps capture the precious moments in a well-polished video. It has all the features you would need in a video editor including multiple audio and video channels, trimming and cutting videos, and merging pieces into one. You can add music, adjust the effects it follows, add a voiceover with Inshot. The app also offers a tonne of video transition effects and filters to toggle and get the best of the scene possible. You can export in HD quality in various formats and ratios suitable for respective platforms like YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, etc.
Video creation and editing are some of the trendy norms in today’s digital generation. All thanks to the evolution of social media platforms, giving every creator inside a person the rise they have always wanted. As social media applications are free to use, many creators are rising from scratch to showcase their talents and skills. So begins the search for the best video editor for free, or best video editor for beginners, etc. To help the search, InVideo is the one-stop solution to all your digital content creation needs. Let us explore more about this online-based video creator and editor software.
InVideo is an online-based video creator and editor based in San Francisco, California that provides the users with different sets of templates, stickers, overlays, filters, media libraries, and much more to help them create videos from scratch or help them edit their own set of clips. What makes InVideo even more unique is that it is recognized as the number one online-based video editing tool by G2 Crowd. Ready to try it, then scroll down for more details regarding the compatibility, support, and cost.
OS Compatibility: Microsoft Windows, Google ChromeOS, and Apple macOS.
Input Format Compatibility: MPEG-2 I-Frame SD, DVCAM, DVCPRO 25, AVCHD (M2T, M2TS, MPEG4, H.264), etc. Output Format Compatibility: Web-compatible file (MPEG4/H.264), WebM, Blu-ray, etc.
Cost: Free (trial version), Paid ($180 to $360/Annum)
To summarize in brief, here are the pros and cons to help you decide whether it is worth your try or not.
Pros:
A robust and diverse media library consisting of over 4000+ elements and items that is available for daily video creation.
An intelligent video assistant (IVA) support recommends corrections or suggestions based on the content you are making.
The free version serves enough features to fulfil all the basic to mediocre needs for your video.
Cons:
It is an online-based tool, so an active and stable internet connection is always required.
3. KineMaster
Price: Free | Contains Ads | Offers In-app Purchases | Pro at $4.99/mo
OS: Android
Popularity: 100M+ Downloads
KineMaster is a literal master when it comes to video editing with powerful tools on-board. The app lets you trim, merge, cut, and crop videos. Controlling video speed, adding slow motion or time-lapse effect is one of the many best features. Perhaps, KineMaster is well known for exporting videos at 4K 21|60p resolution. Though you get a watermark on its free version, the app is pretty packed with features including voice changers, adding voice-overs and music, EQ presets, and others.
Check out its keyframe animation which is a powerful tool for animating in your videos all you want and on your smartphone. Unlike many other video editors for Android, you get a free trial, the free version is feature-limited. You will have to subscribe to its premium plans to keep using it.
Price: Free | Contains Ads | Offers In-app purchases | Pro at $5.99
OS: Android
Popularity: 100M+ Downloads
PowerDirector from Cyberlink Corp is among the best video editors available on Android. If done right, you can export high-quality videos that are no match for any other editor out there. It has features like keyframe controls, animated titles, voice changer, chrome-key editing with green screen, and more. Check out its array of blending-modes and overlays and you will be stunned. It has precise editing tools that include splicing, trimming, rotating, adjusting the color, multi-timeline controls, PiP overlays, tonnes of templates. Apparently, the list goes on.
As with any other video editor apps for Android that you would find, PowerDirector has a premium tier. It unlocks exclusive content, an ad-free interface, stock media, and plenty of professional editing features to name a few.
If you are really good at vlogging and want an app to edit those videos for you, VideoShow can be your pick. It is a professional video editing app for Android devices that offers HD export with no quality loss. It is easier for beginners to use and offers credibility to it. The app has special lenses to add, hundreds of royalty-free music to add, filters, and video styles to name a few features.
It has tools such as blur, reverse, trim, merge, zoom in and out, splice among others. VideoShow has video dubbing wherein you can add voice overs and sound effects too. It has a Materials Center where you’ll get endless sound effects, FX, images, filters, effects, and more.
If you have eyes on something that is frill-free, Quik is the ultimate pick. The app has multiple video styles according to which it creates short videos when you add photos and video clips in the app. It is compatible with all GoPro devices as well as Google Photos, your gallery, cloud storage, and so on. You can easily reorder the files, rotate or trim and do overlays and more with the input and let the app take care of the rest.
It may be lacking advanced video editing chops but it is a frill-free, easy to use video editor that is available free of cost. There are no hidden charges as well.
Price: Free | Contains Ads | Offers In-app purchases | Pro at $7.99
OS: Android
Popularity: 50M+ Downloads
FIlmoraGo from Wondershare isn’t that ordinary video editor app you have heard of but rather a powerful one. It is a full-featured video editor with powerful tools including cutting, trimming, cropping and merging of pieces of videos. The app allows exporting videos in HD quality where users can actually select the aspect ratio and resolution as well. It has plenty of built-in royalty-free music that you can use.
With FilmoraGo, you get audio and video speed and enhancement functionalities as well. You can add text, customize the font style, add emoji and stickers, create memes, and more. Its premium tier relieves you from any ads and unblocks all the features that were under the paywall on FilmoraGo.
If you are new to video editing and want to make something interesting, Magisto can be of great help. The app uses artificial intelligence to select the best fragments, add effects, graphics, and filters to create the best of shots. Magisto lets you combine several videos in one, music from its licensed song library, choose the style of videos, and more. The app has proven its caliber and no doubt it has because it has already charted more than 50 million downloads.
Customize the video further adding colors, fonts, texts, stickers, and so on. The premium tier unlocks no watermark videos, exclusive templates, styles, HD video clips, fonts & and more.
If it’s all about short videos for YouTube or any social media handy, Funimate Video Editor is the perfect tool. The video editor transforms usual bland videos into a piece of art with more than 100 advanced video effects to choose from. Funimate Video Editor is not that powerful but it is worth a shot if you want something which is fuzz-free, simple, & gets your attention on social media.
Its list of features is extensive that includes video masking, AI effects, intro and outro effects, keyframes among others. Add music, chop down videos or merge several of them and son. Participate in the Funimate video editing community to showcase your skills and to learn more cool stuff you can do.
Another short video maker, you will be stunned just how good the Alive Movie Maker is once you use it. The app gives you motion track animation effects which is something you won’t find on most video editing apps. Check out the free timeline editing feature, add effects motion tracked with ease, add music, and more on Alive.
Alive is a great way to edit videos for Instagram and it can handle YouTube videos too. I have a community of videographers that you can check out and learn. With all the intuitive editing tools at your disposal, you would be unstoppable with Alive.
One of the two Adobe video editors available on Android devices, Adobe Premiere Rush does bring a lot to the table. It is an all-in-one video editor that brings pro-quality video editing chops such as trim, flip, add, splice, and more. It has a drag and drop interface along with a multitrack timeline so that everything is neatly arranged. Get your hands on a tonne of royalty-free music with Premiere Rush.
There are many features that make it potentially one of the best including cloud syncing, speed adjustments, color presets, automatic reframe to name a few. Subscribing to its premium plan unlocks any advanced features such as auto-ducking, a library of overlays, titles, and animated graphics, and so on.
And with that, we conclude this listicle for the 10 best FREE video editor apps for Android that you must have a look at. Do let us know which one actually made it to your smartphone and which one disappointed you.
A Realme smartphone speculated to be the Narzo 30 Pro, has appeared on the TENAA certification site with key specs and images. The device has been spotted in the TENAA listing with model number RMX3161 that reveals the images of the upcoming phone along with its key specifications. The listing shows the upcoming handset will have a 6.5-inch LCD display, and it will pack a 4,880mAh battery.
Back in September 2020, Realme had launched the Narzo 20 series, but the company recently teased the India launch of its successor, the Realme Narzo 30 series. If the leak is indeed about the Narzo 30 Pro, then the phone could debut anytime soon. Let’s have a look at what the leaked images say about the upcoming Realme phone and its specifications.
Realme Narzo 30 Pro Specifications (Expected)
Images courtesy: TENAA via Gsmarena
As said before, the phone that has appeared in a TENAA listing is reported to be the upcoming Narzo 30 Pro. Looking at the images, you can see the phone has a triple camera setup at the back and a hole-punch display at the front. The punch-hole cutout lies at the top-left corner of the phone screen to house a selfie camera. Also, the images suggest that the phone will come with a side-mounted fingerprint sensor.
As aforementioned, the upcoming Realme device will feature a 6.5-inch display, with the device having the measurements of 162.5×74.8×8.8mm. Further, the handset will come with support for dual-SIM and 5G connectivity. The fact that the Chinese phone maker has started teasing the Realme Narzo 30 series in India, we could expect more leaks in the coming days.
Images courtesy: TENAA via Gsmarena
Note that earlier this week, Realme had shared a survey asking its fans for suggestions on the upcoming phone’s retail box. The company asked users about what the retail box of its upcoming phone should look like. It also presented six options for that. However, the company didn’t reveal the launch date then, but we expect the Realme Narzo 30 series may launch in late April or May this year. Let’s see what the coming days unfold.
World’s largest chipmaker Qualcomm has announced its latest 5G modem — the Snapdragon X65 — as a successor to its last year’s Snapdragon X60. The alleged 5G modem just started to hit devices as a part of the Snapdragon 888 system-on-a-chip (SoC). The company has said that the new modem will support up to 10Gbps speeds on 5G networks. These include both standalone and non-standalone 5G networks. The company says that the Snapdragon X65 will be a much, much faster modem.
Notably, this would require your carrier to support such speeds on its standalone and non-standalone 5G networks. Also, the Snapdragon X65 will likely take some time to hit any devices, most probably the next year. We believe the next-gen modem will show up in Qualcomm next year’s flagship Snapdragon release. The company will presumably announce it in December this year.
Snapdragon X65 Modem Speed, mmWave, and More
Image courtesy: Qualcomm via TheVerge
As said before, the chipset giant’s new 5G modem offers theoretical top speeds of 10Gbps, which is faster than the Snapdragon X60. It may launch in flagship smartphones in late 2021 or most probably in early 2022. According to the company, this fourth-generation 5G modem-to-antenna solution will support all key 5G spectrum bands and combinations. These include millimeter-wave (mmWave), sub-6 GHz using frequency division duplex (FDD), and time division duplex (TDD). Further, the chipmaker says that the X65 is paired with Qualcomm’s new 545 mmWave antenna module that supports higher transmit power and all global mmWave frequencies.
According to Qualcomm, the company’s latest 5G solution is capable of delivering up to 10 gigabits per second download speeds. It said that the “light modem-RF integration” and “advanced modem-RF technologies” will help OEMs deliver superior data speeds, call quality, network coverage, and support for all-day battery life in a sleek form. The company claims that when the Snapdragon X65 modem launches, users can experience fiber-like browsing speeds, low-latency, immersive 360-degree video, and more.
Currently, the fifth generation of mobile communication system (5G) is the fastest network, and many countries are rolling it out. Though the new cellular technology offers lower latencies and faster speeds, 5G speeds are still slow in many parts of the world. In some countries, say India, 5G is still in the testing phase and may roll out in early 2022.
Have you ever felt the need of having an option to watch a YouTube video frame by frame? Maybe if you’re an animator or graphics designer and want to get a particular frame from the video, but you can’t capture that frame by taking a screenshot. But don’t worry, here we have brought you a few ways with which you can watch a YouTube video frame by frame — both on your PC and a smartphone. Continue reading the guide to find the various ways, and use the one that you feel suitable for yourself.
Reasons for Watching YouTube Videos Frame by Frame
Before we begin explaining the methods, let’s have a look at the reasons why you may need to play a YouTube video frame by frame. Some of you might be thinking what’s the use of playing the YouTube video frame by frame, but there are plenty of reasons other than the ones mentioned above. Here are a few reasons why you may need to read this article:
1. If you’re watching a time-lapse video and you want to see every frame for knowing every single detail of that video.
2. If you just want to check the subliminal image in the video, but you don’t remember or know the keyboard shortcut.
3. Maybe you are trying to learn magic tricks from YouTube videos and need to see frame by frame.
There may be many other reasons you want to watch YouTube videos frame by frame, but having several ways to do so comes in handy. Here we teach you three ways or methods for you to watch YouTube videos frame by frame on both PCs and smartphones.
3 Ways to Watch YouTube Videos Frame by Frame
There are plenty of methods to play YouTube videos frame by frame and a lot of external sites to do this job. As said before, we have listed here three simple and easy ways, including an official way, an external site, and a native desktop app. Check out this tutorial to learn every method and use the one that’s suitable for you.
#1. Official Method: YouTube Frame by Frame Keyboard Shortcut
As the name suggests, there is indeed a keyboard shortcut to watch YouTube videos frame by frame on your desktop browsers. While there are plenty of keyboard shortcuts to control media functions and do other things on a desktop while watching a YouTube video, there is a shortcut for this purpose as well.
Like, you can use the Left < and Right > arrow keys on your keyboard to backward or forward the YouTube video by 10 seconds. Similarly, there are two other keyboard shortcut keys to watch a YouTube video frame by frame. To do this, you need to use YouTube’s frame by frame hotkey. Follow these steps:
1. Open a web browser (eg. Chrome) on your desktop and go to YouTube.com. If you’re not logged in, sign in with your Google Account.
2. Now, find and play the targeted video that you want to play frame by frame.
3. Next, pause the video where you want to play it frame by frame. You can press the Space Bar on your keyboard for pausing the video.
4. Finally, press the period key “.” for going forward one frame and press the comma key “,” for moving backward one frame.
As you can see, this is a simple method to play a YouTube video frame by frame, and it works most of the time for almost all videos. If this doesn’t work for you, keep reading.
#2. External Site: Use External Site to Watch YouTube Videos Frame by Frame
In most cases, the official method will work for you as most of the videos on YouTube support frame by frame playing. However, if this doesn’t work, you can watch such videos frame by frame using external websites. Here we will be using a third-party website where you can simply paste the video URL and play it frame by frame. Unlike the above method, this method works on both desktops and smartphones. Follow these steps:
1. Open a web browser (eg. Chrome) on your desktop or smartphone and copy the URL of your targeted YouTube video.
2. Next, visit WatchFrameByFrame.Com and paste the copied video link in the “Enter video URL or ID” field and click on Watch Video. Alternatively, you can click here directly to paste the video link.
3. Now, pause the video where you want to play it frame by frame, and change the steps to “1 Frame,” and set frames per second to “30 FPS.”
4. That’s it. Now just hit the forward button to move one frame forward and click the back button to move one frame backward.
You can also use a different website called Anilyzer to play YouTube videos frame by frame. For this also you need to follow similar steps.
#3. Desktop App: Using VLC Media Player
If you don’t like using a web browser every time, then you can use the VLC media player to watch YouTube videos frame by frame. There are plenty of video players available for desktop but the VLC media player has much better controls, and it is almost used by every PC user. This method works on PC only but works for both Windows and macOS. Follow these steps:
1. Firstly, copy the desired video link from YouTube.
2. Now, open the VLC media player on your Windows or macOS computer.
3. At the top menu, click on Media and select the “Open Network Stream…” option.
4. On the next window, paste the YouTube video link in the network URL field and then click on the Play button.
5. Now, the YouTube video will start playing on your VLC media player, and now you can use the VLC’s frame by frame hotkey. Simply, press the E key on your keyboard, and the YouTube video will start moving frame by frame.
The good thing is that you don’t need to press the key every time for viewing the next frame. You just have to press the E key, and the video starts moving frame by frame automatically.
Conclusion
Now that we’ve taught you three methods to watch YouTube videos frame by frame, you can use any one of them that you feel suitable for yourself. For example, if you’re a regular YouTube user, then you can use the official keyboard shortcuts available in the default video player of YouTube. If you want to play YouTube videos frame by frame on a smartphone or want greater precision, use the third-party sites for that. However, if you’re a video editor and want to edit the videos besides watching them, then use the VLC media player method.
Skype has reportedly started rolling out an update for its Android users that brings the ability to blur background during video calls. This feature was earlier available for iOS and desktop users for quite some time, and now it’s getting for Skype for Android users.
According to the report, the latest update brings the Skype for Android version to 8.68, introducing the background blur during video calls on the Android platform. This feature will be extremely useful for the cases where you don’t have a proper place to join an online class or conduct a meeting. You can blur your messy background behind you during the meeting or online class by activating the blur effect.
Skype 8.68 for Android — Blur Effect and More
Image courtesy: India Today
The blur effect is not the only feature that this latest Skype update is bringing for Android users. Apart from this, there come more customized reaction options that Skype for Android users can enjoy. However, these features and innovations are not limited to Android but being made available beyond Android. Further, iPhone and iPad users will also receive some major improvements in their Skype application. These include the Share extension with dark theme support and overall performance enhancements.
How to activate the blur feature on Skype for Android
To activate the blur effect or feature on your Skype application on Android, follow these steps:
1.. First, start a video chat with any of your contacts on Skype.
2. Now, open the Audio & Video Settings menu by clicking the gear icon at the top-right corner of your call screen.
3. From the menu, click on the “Blur my background” toggle to turn on this feature.
4. That’s all. Now close the menu and return to your call screen with a blurred background.
Now that you’ve turned on the blur effect on Skype for Android, you’ll be able to hide the background in your Skype meetings or calls. Keep visiting AndroidFist for the latest tech news, tips & tricks, how-to guides, and more.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 has reportedly received a firmware update that brings the SmartThings Find feature to the smartwatch. This feature helps users find their misplaced devices, including smartphones and now the smartwatches. Previously available on Samsung smartphones, the South Korean tech giant has now extended this feature’s support to the wearable. Apart from this, the update also brings a group walking challenge, improved Samsung Health Function, and several stability improvements.
According to a report from TizenHelp, the latest update for Galaxy Watch 3 comes with firmware version R840XXU1BUA8, and it is available to download in South Korea, the US, and India. The firmware update carries a file size of 74MB, and users can download it from the Galaxy Wearable app on their smartwatch. There’s an interesting feature that the update brings for the Galaxy Watch 3 users to remind them of washing their hands. Reportedly, the SmartThings Find feature has also been rolled out for the Galaxy Watch 2 devices.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 Update Features
Image courtesy: Amazon India
As aforementioned, the latest update for the Galaxy Watch 3 brings SmartThings Find feature, improved Samsung Health Function, group walking challenge, stability improvements, and a feature that will allow the wearable to detect when a user washes his/her hands. Speaking of SmartThings Find, the feature helps users locate Samsung Galaxy smartphones, tablets, smartwatches, and earbuds. It uses Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) and Ultra Wide Band (UWB) technologies to help find devices. This service works even if the missing Galaxy device is offline. All the device needs to have is enough battery so that it can send Bluetooth and UWB signals.
Further, the update brings various stability improvements to the Galaxy Watch 3 smartwatch. Apart from this, there’s an improved Samsung Health Function that brings a feature for users to enjoy group-walking challenges with their friends. The update also carries a variety of fitness programmes for home workouts. Using the Hand Wash app of Galaxy Watch 3, users can get reminders for washing hands periodically, a feature useful especially during this COVID-19 era.
If you’re a Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 owner, then your smartwatch will be eligible for all features mentioned above. Just check your wearable if the update has been rolled out for you or not.
Those days are long gone where we used a computer for all the major daily tasks, thanks to the advanced smartphone technology. You can nearly do everything on your smartphone that you were doing on your computer. This article is a guide on how to manage archive files on your Android smartphone. Let’s begin!
What is an Archive File
An archive file is a compressed form of the file comprising of a single sub-file or multiple sub-files. It compiles all the files together in a compressed size manner, which is easier to share via e-mail or any medium. Archive files apart from the size reduction offer more features like security encryption, malware protection, error detection, patch update, etc. Some of the most popular formats used for archive files are (.tar), (.rar), (.7z), (.apk), and (.iso). Let us now learn how to open and manage these archive files on your Android smartphones and devices using two methods listed below.
Manage Archive Files Using File Managers
Using the file manager to manage archive files is one of the simplest ways of exploring the stored content in the archive files. Though you can find many file managers in the Google Play Store, not a lot of them support archive file opening and extracting procedure. I tried the Mi File Manager, which did the job perfectly. So, you should try this file manager if you don’t want to manage too much.
Manage Archive Files Using Archive Tools
If you want more robust control over the archive files, then using the archive tools makes more sense over file managers. Many applications are available in the Google Play Store for this very purpose. These applications offer total control over the files allowing you to open, delete, extract, archive again, and much more. Here are the two best ones to get the work done right.
Try the steps and tell us which method is better. Also, explore other applications for the same and share them with us if you find them useful. Lastly, dropdown your views, comments, or any feedback for further assistance, and we shall see you in the next one.
Adobe Acrobat has added multiple useful tools and features for PDFs on the web, including the ability to add passwords, merge multiple PDFs, and more. Earlier, these features were only available on the most-used PDF reader’s desktop app. Now, the features available in the Adobe Acrobat desktop app have come to its web version. These features and useful tools will allow users to add passwords to PDFs, split a single PDF into multiple files, and even merge multiple PDFs into a single file directly on the web. Further, users with an Acrobat subscription can also use specific PDF tools such as editing text and images.
According to the company’s blog post, new tools for Acrobat Web will let users tackle various PDF tasks within the browser itself. This will relieve users from installing the desktop software on their PCs. Adobe, in its blog post, said that actions like converting files into PDFs, compressing, or e-signing should be free and easy to do. It’s probably good news for most users who want to keep the number of software installed on their PCs at the minimum.
Adobe Acrobat Web New Tools, Features
Image courtesy: Adobe Blog
With the addition of new tools to Acrobat Web, users can password-protect their PDF, split a single PDF into multiple files, and merge multiple PDF files into a single, larger file. Apart from this, Adobe also allows users to reorder PDF pages, fill and sign forms online, compress PDFs, and edit, rotate, and delete PDF pages/files.
Further, the company has also added multiple new shortcuts that users can type into their web browsers to quickly access Acrobat features. Following are the shortcuts that Adobe has added to the Acrobat Web: PDF.new, Sign.new, ConvertPDF.new, CompressPDF.new, and WordtoPDF.new. Like the names suggest, these shortcuts allow users to quickly access features to do the task. Last year, Adobe had partnered with Google to test these Acrobat shortcuts for the ‘.new’ domain. The company said that these have received over 10 million clicks since then.
As said before, users can also use more specific PDF tools like text and image editing, redacting, or ORCing with the Acrobat subscription. Users with the subscription can use these tools on all platforms, including desktop, mobile, and Web.
Mobile photography is improving more than you can imagine. We have already come a long way from no cameras on phones to VGA shooters and now even a 108MP quad-camera setup is available in the market. But there’s a consistent theme that users might have noticed, it is not just about the cameras but software too. Yes, too many cameras on a smartphone don’t mean it will click an excellent photo unless the underlying software isn’t that capable. Every smartphone manufacturer has its stock camera app and then, Google has Google Camera or Gcam.
Released in 2014, Google Camera or Gcam has changed the way people capture photos and videos on their smartphones. It is like a software overlord that offers exceptional software capabilities that work with cameras mounted on your phone to get the best shot possible. Google has been improving it much and now, it is already v8.1 and above and trust us, it is better than any stock camera UI on any smartphone you might have seen.
However, the catch is, it is not available on all smartphones. On the contrary, it was available on all Android phones initially when it was launched, however, Google decided to keep it as a Pixel-only app. But hey, thanks to the Android modding community, Google Camera mods have arrived for a wholesome amount of non-Google phones. This is a guide on how to download and install Gcam with astrophotography on an Android smartphone.
What is Google Camera (GCam)
As aforementioned, Google Camera is not available on any smartphones other than Pixels. Thus, Gcam is a modded version of the app that allows non-Google phones to install it and take the advantage of its higher computational prowess. Launched in 2014, Google Camera has advanced much late and harnesses every aspect of a phone’s camera to capture truly perfect shots. A 360-degrees shot on Google Camera looks exactly like it sounds and not just a bunch of images stitched together.
It is bizarre how Google Camera overtakes any smartphone irrespective of its make mode, the camera UI, and the cameras being used. Thanks to advanced artificial intelligence, Google Camera is unbeatable. Want Google Camera on your device? Read along with this page to know how to install Gcam and everything else that you should be aware of.
What are the prerequisites for installing the Google Camera mod
The Google Camera app doesn’t run on non-Pixel devices. On the contrary, a modded version aka Gcam would work on many non-Pixels but doesn’t work on all the devices. To check if your phone is compatible or not, you have to check Camera 2 API compatibility.
You’ll need this Camera2 API Probe app(free) from the Google Play Store that would let you know if your phone is capable or not. Just under “Hardware Support Level”, check if it is showing “Level3”, “Full”, “Limited”, “Legacy”. In case it is Legacy, you won’t be able to configure Gcam on your phone. You’ll need to root your phone, enable the Camera 2 API, and then, install Gcam.
On the contrary, if it says anything else from Legacy, you can install the app and there you have it.
As said, in case it is Legacy you would need to root your phone to enable Camera 2 API. Also, you would need to install additional files to run the Gcam mod app as the app doesn’t support all Android smartphones.
Statuses of Camera 2 API Compatibility
LEVEL_3: This status of devices supports RAW image capture, YUV reprocessing, additional output stream configurations and among others and it is the highest of the levels from the four.
FULL: This level of devices support all major capabilities of the Camera 2 API that it should but less than that of LEVEL_3.
LIMITED: This level of devices support some but not all the capabilities of Camera 2 API.
LEGACY: Finally, this particular level of Android devices doesn’t support Camera 2 API but only Camera 1 API and thus, not compatible to install Google Camera.
How To Enable Camera 2 API
If your smartphone supports Camera 2 API, it’s well and good because you can simply use the Google Camera app right away. If not, you would need to enable the Camera 2 API simply by rooting the phone. But hey, rooting isn’t recommended as it may be easy but there’s a lot of moving parts that you need to take care of. You can edit the “build.prop” file which is available in two of the many ways.
Method #1: Using the BuildProp Editor app
You still need a rooted smartphone to use this app for sure. Here’s how you can edit the Build.Prop file on your device.
When a prompt appears on the screen, “Grant” access to the same.
Tap on the “Edit” icon on the top-right corner.
At the end of the build.prop file, you need to enter the given command (without the quotation mark).
persist.camera.HAL3.enabled=1
Step #5: Tap on save and restart the phone and check as the Camera 2 API will be enabled.
Method #2: Using the Magisk Module
If you can use Magisk Module’s “Camera 2 API enabler” available over at XDA using the Magisk Manager. You canread here.
How To Download Google Camera (GCam) APK
As said, you can simply download the Google Camera from Google Play Store for your Pixel devices. But if it’s not Pixel, you would need a modded version. Currently, at v8.1, the modded version on your device may not have the same version. Here’s where you would find the links to download the modded app on your smartphone or follow the links below.
Now that you have downloaded and install Gcam modded app APK file and want to install it, here’s how you can do it about.
Step #1: First up, locate the APK file on your phone that usually goes through the “Downloads” section on your smartphone.
Step #2: Now, go to the Settings >> Security and allow “Installation from unknown sources”.
Step #3: Go to the APK file again and tap on it to “Install”.
Step #4: Once the installation is done, tap on “Launch” and bingo, a modded version of Gcam is now available on your device. That’s how you can install Gcam on any Android smartphone.
How To Configure Gcam for Your Device
You need to configure the recently installed Gcam app on your device to run it properly. Some of the benefits of installing a proper XML file are efficiently switching between daylight and low light settings for better shots, upgrading or downgrading versions without losing the settings, and more. Here’s how you can do it.
1. First up, you need to configure the Gcam app by tweaking its XML file. It is likely to be available with the APK file you just downloaded. If not, you will have to search for it.
2. Next up, move the file from “Downloads” to “Gcam >> configs7”. If the folder is not available, create one under Gcam and paste the XML file there.
Google Camera Settings
3. Next up, you need to double-tap on the dark area of the camera app that is present in the bottom where you’ll find the shutter button, modes, etc.
4. You will get a prompt asking you to select the config file, select the same, and tap on “Restore”.
5. The Gcam app will restart and if it does, you have successfully loaded the new XML file on the app.
What are the Features of Gcam mod APK v7.3
Talking about Gcam v7.3, it does bring a lot to the table apart from the usual features that Gcam offers. This includes but is not limited to automatic DND mode during video recording, recording at 24fps among others. There’s astrophotography to the Night Side mode that allows users to take exceptional shots in a jiffy.
The list of features includes exposure controls to adjust HDR and brightness of the photos. There’s a rearranged Settings UI on-board along with added ‘Received Frequent Faces” to capture “Top Shot” photos. These are some of the changes and features that v7.3 brings on-board but Google keeps on adding features with the latest updates.
What Makes Gcam So Good
Google Camera (or modded Gcam) has a prowess over other stock camera applications. It can capture detailed, sharp, and otherwise perfect shots using its top-notched software and computational power, unlike others. But what exactly makes it so good? Here’s a summary of what you can expect and do with Gcam.
Lens Blur
Portrait shots are something new on a smartphone but Gcam takes it a step forward. It enhances the object/subject in front and blurs the background with proper edge detection. The shots are more captured with a DSLR-like camera rather than a smartphone in most cases.
Motion Photos
Gcam uses the camera’s hardware such as optical image stabilization and gyroscope to produce a 3-seconds long video and the output is a blur-free snapshot.
Slow Motion
Your phone can already take slow-motion shots with some extending it to 960fps and beyond. However, it depends on your phone’s ability to process it as well. Gcam has excellent post-processing algorithms in place that can convert your 120 or 240 fps videos into a masterpiece.
Smart Burst
With Gcam, you can capture 10 photos in one second simply by holding the shutter button. This may seem like a lot of work to do post capturing the shot but Smart Burst is truly amazing in some use cases. You can also use the best image captured from the lot. This means more sense when there are too many variables involved such as a group photo where people could potentially have a closed eye.
HDR+
There’s a lot of work going on when you are capturing an HDR+ shot. To simplify, the camera takes burst shots with varying dynamic range and other variables. Now, the software will take the best shot processing it pixel-by-pixel to render the best image as an average of the photo set. This helps take images with less noise, blurriness, and great for low-light photos.
Astrophotography
This is one of the biggest benefit of using Google Camera. Available in Pixel devices by default, this features lets you capture the celestial bodies, planets, the Milky Way band and more about it in the next section.
What is Astrophotography
Now, we have come to the section where we’ll discuss Google Camera’s best picture i.e. Astrophotography. By definition, astrophotography is the term used for capturing photos of astronomical and celestial objects like the sun, moon, stars, planets, the Milky Way band, and so on. Although smartphones can capture photos both at low light and daylight, capturing an astronomical object isn’t a piece of cake and requires a lot of effort, experience, and the perfect spot.
Google has improved upon the Google Camera app so much so that it has actually allowed smartphones to capture those celestial objects unmatched by any other camera app. Set the phone on a tripod, set perfect settings with exposure, contrast, timer, etc, and you will see the best photos as a result.
Note that it isn’t that easy as it sounds and you would still end up taking blurry photos if you haven’t calibrated the app perfectly. Also, it’s mobile photography that we are talking about and thus, it would be still limited by many variables so don’t expect photos of Saturn to come out as detailed as the one you would see on a high-grade telescope.
How To Enable Astrophotography Mode in Gcam
Apparently, the Google Camera app you just installed will trigger and enable Astrophotography mode without manually doing it. For this, you need a super steady and stable position for your phone i.e. on a tripod, low light for photography and once these conditions are met, the phone will automatically go into astrophotography mode.
Clearly you cannot trigger it if you don’t meet the said conditions but there’s a way to use astrophotography even in daylight. To do it, you need a tripod to keep the phone steady in a stable position. Now, cover the lens with your finger and let the camera app detect nighttime scenes where it should trigger astrophotography mode. Now, press the shutter button and the timer for exposure should go out. Lift your finger and let the camera shoot the subject/object you want to capture. You can tap on the shutter button at any time you want the long exposure shot to end and the result will be an excellent image if you pass to calibrate it properly.
How To Take Excellent Shots With Gcam’s Astrophotography Feature
Assuming that you are on the rooftop of your house or building or in a plain field, here are a few tips and tricks that you can use on your phone with Google Camera to take great shots with astrophotography in Night Sight.
Also, this is subjective and may vary depending upon what type of shot you are expecting to take. Once you trigger the Astrophotography feature in Night Sight assuming that you are in a truly low-lit environment. Place it on a tripod as handheld shots will be exceptionally blurry even if you have the steadiest hands. Once you have tagged along with a tripod, place the phone and point it at an angle that where you would see the nighttime sky on the viewfinder and there you go.
Tap on the shutter button and it would take anywhere between a minute to 5 minutes that you will see on the screen. The app decides the exposure based on the scene. You can tap the shutter button whenever you want to end the shot. Once it is over, you will be blown off with the results, to be honest.
The trick is to select a place or spot with low light pollution as shooting in the hustle and bustle of the city won’t cut it. A scheduled place like a mountain or a plain field or a few kilometers away from a town or so would be an ideal choice. Death Valley in the U.S. has one of the best settings for nighttime astrophotography as it has one of the lowest amounts of light pollution but that’s just a suggestion. There are abundant places in any given state, city, country where you would find the right spots for these kinds of shots.
Conclusion
That’s a lot of things you got to know about installing and using a GCam and Astrophotography on your smartphone. Note that not all the devices will support Google Camera and in fact, some might support at first but with newer versions of the app released, they might not support it at all.
