Pixel Camera 11 debuts refreshed quick access controls and a handy Launch mode

With the new Pixel 11 series, Google’s releasing its updated Pixel Camera 11 app, including redesigned Quick access sliders. Let’s take a look at what these do, and how you’ll access them.

Google has given its Quick access camera controls a major redesign in Pixel Camera 11, but there’s a catch: these controls are hidden by default. And even when you dig through menus to enable them, using the controls isn’t exactly intuitive.

The new controls were first spotted by the folks over at 9to5Google. We checked our Pixel 11 units and can confirm that the redesigned controls are indeed present.

Previously, the same controls appeared as larger slider bars (left). Now, they appear as cleaner dial-like controls, as seen above (right). The controls include Focus, Looks, Exposure, Shadows, White balance, Shutter speed, and ISO.

In Pixel Camera 10.4, Quick access controls appear as a standalone toggle within the app’s settings. With Pixel Camera 11, Quick access gets its own submenu. This is where you can customize the aforementioned controls’ placement.

If you have a new Pixel 11 series device, note that Quick access controls will be disabled by default. Head to the camera app’s settings to toggle the feature on. Once enabled, don’t expect the controls to suddenly appear on your screen. Quick access controls will remain hidden until you tap the viewfinder. Only at this point will the controls pop up on either side of the display.

Keeping the controls off the screen by default makes sense, leaving the camera interface clean. However, it also creates a discoverability problem for someone who isn’t already familiar with the feature. At the very least, a prompt within the feature’s setting menu explaining that the viewfinder needs to be tapped to bring up the controls would make the feature easier to discover and use.

Elsewhere, within the same update, Google is also adding a new Launch mode. It essentially lets you change the app’s default startup mode from Photo to either Video or Magic Capture. This applies to the standard app launch and the double-tap shortcut, cutting out one step from your workflow if you primarily use your Pixel’s camera to record video or want both videos and photos with Magic Capture.

Magic Capture is a Pixel 11 series-exclusive feature, though as we’ve seen with countless other exclusive features before, it will very likely trickle down to older Pixels in the future. Similarly, there’s a good chance that the new Quick access menu and Launch mode to eventually land on older devices.