If you want to install the Google Camera on your Android phone, but don't know if it is compatible or not, there are several ways to check and get out of doubt.
Having a good camera is essential in Android. Not only the sensors used in the phone, but software is also important , like the camera app you use. Your phone comes with a default one, but you may not like it or it doesn't have all the options you want. If this is the case, you can always look for alternatives, although there is an application that stands out above the rest and it is the Google camera.
The Google camera, also known as GCam, is a highly desired application by Android users. Known for its many features, good results, and ease of use, it's not uncommon for you to want it on your phone. There is only one problem: Is my mobile compatible with this app? There are a number of requirements to be met in order to use it.
Your phone brand influences
The brand of phone you have is going to be decisive when it comes to installing the Google camera. The main reason is that this camera was developed with the idea of getting the most out of the processing capabilities of Qualcomm's Snapdragon processors. Therefore, if you have a phone that uses a processor that is not of this brand, it is highly likely that you cannot use the app or have problems using it.
Brands like Huawei, Samsung and Honor, which usually use their own processors (Kirin or Exynos) usually have problems when installing this application. Also other brands, that do not use a Snapdragon processor, as can happen with those that use a MediaTek processor, you may encounter problems when using this application. Probably for many of them it is not possible to install it. It is not always the case that it is impossible to download or install the application on the phone, but what may happen is that you will not have all the Google camera functions available. The use of the application would be quite limited in this way, something that is not desirable either, because you will not be able to take advantage of it on your phone.
Manual controls on your phone
There is another essential requirement to be able to install Google camera on your phone: it is necessary to have the full Camera2 API, which means that the manufacturer must have enabled the communication interface between the camera components and the app. So, we are forced to find out whether or not the phone has such a Camera2 API. Luckily, there is an application that lets us know this.
Manual Camera Compatibility is the name of this app, which we can download for free in the Play Store. What this application is going to do is check if your system has this support for those applications that use manual capture controls, such as the Google camera. If the result is positive, all or most are green signs, as in the photo, then you will be able to install the app. You can download this test app from this link: DOWNLOAD IT HERE
Simply press the Start button when you open it on the phone and wait for the analysis to be carried out. These analysis take less than a minute normally and then you will be able to know whether or not you have such compatibility or support on your phone.
Google camera version
An aspect that makes it difficult to know if your mobile is compatible or not with the Google camera application is that this compatibility can vary between one version or another of the application. In other words, a version of the application may not work on your phone, but an earlier or later version will. This makes it somewhat complicated and you don't always know in advance which version will work correctly.
Especially since we want to install the most recent version of the application, to have access to as many functions as possible in it. Unfortunately, there are times when it is not possible, but some earlier version will work without problems on your phone. There are some repositories where it is shown which version of Google camera should be used on your phone or is compatible, in order to have the latest version that will work without problems or limitations. The version of the application is the third aspect to consider. But if you have complied with the first two sections, then your phone is compatible with the Google camera. It is just a matter of looking for the compatible version then.