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Google removes decade-old feature from the camera app on Pixel 8, Pixel 8 Pro

By Alan Friedman

Published: Oct 11, 2023, 10:39 PM

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Google removes decade-old feature from the camera app on Pixel 8, Pixel 8 Pro

Ever wonder what the Photo Sphere feature is on the Google Camera app? Photo Sphere allows a Pixel user to take pictures and have them stitched together to produce 360-degree Street View-style panoramas. The feature debuted back in 2012 on the Nexus 4 and now Google is removing it from Google Camera app version 9.1 which is pre-installed on the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro.

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The feature remains on older Pixel models using the Google Camera app version 9.0 or older. Whether Photo Sphere will be removed once the older phones receive Google Camera app 9.1 is unclear at this point. Even though not too many Pixel users were using Photo Sphere, there are some users who are upset at Google for making this call.

One user wrote on Reddit, "Why in the world would Google remove Photo Sphere? Every time I used it around an iPhone they would be shocked that it's in the regular camera app. What a disappointment man." Another Reddit user had only kind words to say about Photo Sphere. "I'm so pissed about this, it's my favorite camera feature. It captures places unlike anything else."

While Google didn't put too much thought into promoting Photo Sphere, about a decade ago it released a video that shows how to use the feature. If you create a worthy 360-degree Photo Sphere photo, you can submit it to Google Maps and you might find it published on the app.

Now that Photo Sphere is getting some attention (although this attention, ironically, is because the feature is being dropped on the Pixel 8 line), those with an older Pixel model who previously ignored Photo Sphere might start using it and discover that it is a feature that they really enjoy using. If you do have a Pixel 7 series phone or older, you still have the opportunity to use Photo Sphere so take some time to create some 360-degree images now just in case the feature is also removed from your Pixel phone.

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Alan, an ardent smartphone enthusiast and a veteran writer at PhoneArena since 2009, has witnessed and chronicled the transformative years of mobile technology. Owning iconic phones from the original iPhone to the iPhone 15 Pro Max, he has seen smartphones evolve into a global phenomenon. Beyond smartphones, Alan has covered the emergence of tablets, smartwatches, and smart speakers.