A couple of days ago, the Pixel 7 Pro received Google Camera 8.7 update, bringing macro focus setting. As spotted by 9to5Google, this update is now rolling to the older Pixel phones. While the Macro mode is still exclusive to the Pixel 7 Pro, the update does bring a handful of changes to previous Pixel phones, all the way back to the 4a series.

These are by no means “new” features. Instead, these smartphones are catching up with what we have already witnessed on the Pixel 7 lineup. The first one is “double-tap to zoom,” which lets you zoom in by two times when you double-tap anywhere on the frame while a second double-tap zooms out. This addition should come in handy for one-handed photography.

Next, it brings back the Familiar Faces feature after being disabled on older Pixels earlier this year in May. It identifies the faces of folks you usually shoot photos with and recommends better “Top Shot” pictures of them. You now also get an option to choose whether to save images directly in the gallery or Locked Folder by long-pressing the preview on your last photo.

Even after installing Google Camera 8.7, the Pixel 6 Pro still lacks the option to precisely control the amount of exposure time used for Night Sight photos. Unlike prior Pixel phones, which employ an automatic timer for Night Sight, the Pixel 7 series allows you to control this by tapping an indicator placed to the right of the zoom slider. Still, it is good to see the addition of some handy features on the older Pixel phones.

This update has so far only arrived on the Pixel 6 Pro, but it should soon be available on all supported Pixel phones in the coming days via the Play Store.

Source: 9to5Google