{"slug": "pixel-camera", "name": "Pixel Camera", "category": "other", "category_name": "Other software", "description": "", "recommenders": 3, "commenters": 5, "warners": 1, "score": 1.972, "rising": -0.98, "first": "2026-02-17", "latest": "2026-08-25", "why": "Pixel Camera fully works on GrapheneOS even without sandboxed Google Play in the same profile.", "why_is_quote": true, "has_verdict": false, "sentiment": {"recommend": 3, "neutral": 1, "compare": 0, "warn": 1}, "spark": [0, 0, 0, 1, 1, 0, 0, 0, 1, 0, 0, 0], "listed": true, "loved": [], "caveat": "", "short_quote": "Pixel Camera fully works on GrapheneOS even without sandboxed Google Play in the same profile.", "kind": "", "icon": false, "domain": null, "github_repo": null, "official_url": "", "pricing": "", "aliases": ["Pixel Camera"], "verdict": null, "praise": [{"label": "", "summary": "", "quotes": [{"id": 784571730, "item_id": 49035733, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49035733", "by": "grapheneos", "date": "2026-07-24", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Pixel Camera fully works on GrapheneOS even without sandboxed Google Play in the same profile.", "excerpt": "RCS is fully functional on GrapheneOS with an app supporting it. Google Messages is the only RCS app for Android available in practice. It fully works on GrapheneOS via the official sandboxed Google Play compatibility layer support for it. Camera features and quality on GrapheneOS are the same as the stock Pixel OS within the same app. Pixel Camera fully works on GrapheneOS even without sandboxed Google Play in the s", "context": "", "use_case": "camera app", "switched_from": "", "story": "Roblox Officially Supports GrapheneOS"}, {"id": 756019329, "item_id": 47251208, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47251208", "by": "Itoldmyselfso", "date": "2026-03-04", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Pixel camera app is fully supported by GOS", "excerpt": "Pixel camera app is fully supported by GOS, you just install it from Play store (or from other sources). If you don't have Google Photos installed the last photo preview won't work, but you can install a 'shim' app that fixes it without need for Photos app: https://github.com/lukaspieper/Gcam-Services-Provider https://grapheneos.org/usage#pixel-camera", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Motorola GrapheneOS devices will be bootloader unlockable/relockable"}, {"id": 752850657, "item_id": 47053166, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47053166", "by": "strcat", "date": "2026-02-17", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "You can use Pixel Camera on GrapheneOS even without sandboxed Google Play", "excerpt": "GrapheneOS has the same camera features and quality as the stock Pixel OS within the same apps. You can use Pixel Camera on GrapheneOS even without sandboxed Google Play in the same profile if you want the full feature set. If you want extremely good cameras, the Pixel 10 Pro and Pixel 10 Pro XL are the best choices. Those provide the highest quality image sensors among the available supported devices and the Pro mod", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "GrapheneOS \u2013 Break Free from Google and Apple"}]}], "caveats": [{"label": "", "summary": "", "quotes": [{"id": 790758368, "item_id": 49422398, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49422398", "by": "Retr0id", "date": "2026-08-24", "version": null, "stance": "warn", "quote": "I went for the Pixel Camera app since they were the ones bragging the hardest about their \"security\".", "excerpt": "I've done this btw. I went for the Pixel Camera app since they were the ones bragging the hardest about their \"security\". Writeup + PoC should be dropping some time tomorrow. Despite 90+ days from initial report, it remains unpatched. Some proof: https://verify.contentauthenticity.org/?source=https://retr0.id/stuff/nocors/pixel_pwned_tsa.jpg I could also paste a privkey + cert chain in here but el goog's lawyers migh", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "MS Paint and Photos inivisibly watermark even locally generated output with GUID"}]}], "who": [], "tags": [], "use_cases": ["camera app"], "compared": [{"slug": "grapheneos", "name": "GrapheneOS", "co": 3, "switched_from": 0, "switched_to": 0}], "makers": [], "threads": [{"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49421158", "title": "MS Paint and Photos inivisibly watermark even locally generated output with GUID", "mentions": 2}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48994716", "title": "Roblox Officially Supports GrapheneOS", "mentions": 2}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47241551", "title": "Motorola GrapheneOS devices will be bootloader unlockable/relockable", "mentions": 1}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47045612", "title": "GrapheneOS \u2013 Break Free from Google and Apple", "mentions": 1}], "sentiment_by_month": {"2025-11": {}, "2025-12": {}, "2026-01": {}, "2026-02": {"recommend": 1}, "2026-03": {"recommend": 1}, "2026-04": {}, "2026-05": {}, "2026-06": {}, "2026-07": {"recommend": 1, "neutral": 1}, "2026-08": {"warn": 1}, "2026-09": {}, "2026-10": {}}, "versions": [], "version_unnamed": 0, "family_ref": null, "runs_on": null, "lines": [], "quotes": [{"id": 790972160, "item_id": 49435760, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49435760", "by": "Retr0id", "date": "2026-08-25", "version": null, "stance": "warn", "quote": "", "excerpt": "Published: https://www.da.vidbuchanan.co.uk/blog/android-c2pa.html", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "MS Paint and Photos inivisibly watermark even locally generated output with GUID"}, {"id": 790758368, "item_id": 49422398, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49422398", "by": "Retr0id", "date": "2026-08-24", "version": null, "stance": "warn", "quote": "I went for the Pixel Camera app since they were the ones bragging the hardest about their \"security\".", "excerpt": "I've done this btw. I went for the Pixel Camera app since they were the ones bragging the hardest about their \"security\". Writeup + PoC should be dropping some time tomorrow. Despite 90+ days from initial report, it remains unpatched. Some proof: https://verify.contentauthenticity.org/?source=https://retr0.id/stuff/nocors/pixel_pwned_tsa.jpg I could also paste a privkey + cert chain in here but el goog's lawyers migh", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "MS Paint and Photos inivisibly watermark even locally generated output with GUID"}, {"id": 784801281, "item_id": 49050080, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49050080", "by": "TranquilMarmot", "date": "2026-07-25", "version": null, "stance": "neutral", "quote": "I am indeed using the \"Pixel Camera\" app", "excerpt": "Um, ackshually https://grapheneos.org/usage#grapheneos-camera-app > GrapheneOS includes our own modern camera app focused on privacy and security. It includes modes for capturing images, videos and QR and barcode scanning along with additional modes based on CameraX vendor extensions (Portrait, HDR, Night, Face Retouch and Auto) on devices where they're available (Pixels currently only have support for Night mode). I", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Roblox Officially Supports GrapheneOS"}, {"id": 784571730, "item_id": 49035733, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49035733", "by": "grapheneos", "date": "2026-07-24", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Pixel Camera fully works on GrapheneOS even without sandboxed Google Play in the same profile.", "excerpt": "RCS is fully functional on GrapheneOS with an app supporting it. Google Messages is the only RCS app for Android available in practice. It fully works on GrapheneOS via the official sandboxed Google Play compatibility layer support for it. Camera features and quality on GrapheneOS are the same as the stock Pixel OS within the same app. Pixel Camera fully works on GrapheneOS even without sandboxed Google Play in the s", "context": "", "use_case": "camera app", "switched_from": "", "story": "Roblox Officially Supports GrapheneOS"}, {"id": 756019329, "item_id": 47251208, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47251208", "by": "Itoldmyselfso", "date": "2026-03-04", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Pixel camera app is fully supported by GOS", "excerpt": "Pixel camera app is fully supported by GOS, you just install it from Play store (or from other sources). If you don't have Google Photos installed the last photo preview won't work, but you can install a 'shim' app that fixes it without need for Photos app: https://github.com/lukaspieper/Gcam-Services-Provider https://grapheneos.org/usage#pixel-camera", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Motorola GrapheneOS devices will be bootloader unlockable/relockable"}, {"id": 752850657, "item_id": 47053166, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47053166", "by": "strcat", "date": "2026-02-17", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "You can use Pixel Camera on GrapheneOS even without sandboxed Google Play", "excerpt": "GrapheneOS has the same camera features and quality as the stock Pixel OS within the same apps. You can use Pixel Camera on GrapheneOS even without sandboxed Google Play in the same profile if you want the full feature set. If you want extremely good cameras, the Pixel 10 Pro and Pixel 10 Pro XL are the best choices. Those provide the highest quality image sensors among the available supported devices and the Pro mod", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "GrapheneOS \u2013 Break Free from Google and Apple"}]}