For those on the OnePlus 3 and OnePlus 3T, you cannot use portrait mode on the front-facing camera, due to lack of RAW camera support.

When we first reported on the Google Camera HDR+ port, it had very few options and ran on only a handful of devices. It was unstable in many environments, which led to device-specific variants being released. Since then, it has flourished with a wide range of options for users to avail of and tweak their photos to their liking, providing the option to emulate the processing of certain other Google devices to get the best possible quality from your device. Since then, we've seen other advancements take place in the form of the Google Pixel 2-exclusive portrait mode being ported to other devices, meaning anyone can now take a bokeh style shot from your own phone. Now, a new update to that very same mod includes the addition of 4K video recording for some new devices and the ability to switch between portrait mode and lens blur mode.

pixel 2 bokeh tech Google camera

This is all thanks to XDA Senior Member Arnova8G2 who has modified and optimized the original work of Ukrainian developer B-S-G and XDA Senior Member Charles_l to bring portrait mode to nearly all devices that can already make use of HDR+ in the modified Google Camera app. Users on our forums have been testing it out, and you can now too! It seems to work rather well on supported devices, but keep in mind that the portrait mode effect only works on people.

This isn't all, either. Since we've last reported on the Google Camera HDR+ port, we've also seen the camera quality slowly increase along with the stability of the app itself. Here are my settings down below. These settings are for the OnePlus 3 but should push you in the right direction for configuring it for your own device. As can be seen, as well, there are a number of advanced features including a toggle for using either portrait mode or lens blur. There is also the option to take a RAW photo or compress RAW photos, while also taking a regular photo too. Zero Shutter Lag (ZSL) should also be enabled if it can be for the settings that you choose.

A general rule of thumb for Snapdragon 820/821 devices, is for "Config Camera HDR+" to use anything with Nexus 6 in the name, as Nexus 6P and Google Pixel settings are not stable. For the model, you can use Pixel XL or Pixel 2XL, or the Nexus 6P if you would rather have more detailed images. HDR+ parameters don't hugely matter what you choose, and is all personal preference. A higher amount (super high in my case) will take a longer time to process.

And here are some photos using the above camera settings, all also taken on the OnePlus 3 using Google Camera HDR+. Keep in mind that the OnePlus 3 was never known for its camera capabilities, and the Google Camera HDR+ port has improved it tenfold.

And that's not all, but users who previously could not record in 4K video resolution might be able to now, so long as their device supports it. This solidifies the Google Camera port as a full replacement for your stock camera application so long as your phone can make use of all of its features. Your device will need to support the Camera2 API, which has been problematic for those on devices such as the ZTE Axon 7 which does not support it (but can be enabled if your device is rooted).


Download Google Camera Mod with Portrait Mode/Lens Blur Toggle and 4K Video Support

If you like what you see, you can check out the announcement post by Arnova8G2 for the updated Google Camera HDR+ port which we have also mirrored at the link below in case the Google Drive link goes down.

Download Google Camera Mod with Portrait Mode/Lens Blur Toggle & 4K Video Recording