Camera2 API Support For Any Android Devices? Latest GCam 9.1

Camera2 API Support; To fully harness the capabilities of the Google camera port options, you need to familiarize yourself with the Camera2 API. Lucky for you, this article will provide you with all the necessary information on how to check if your Android device supports it seamlessly.

As mobile phone brands continue to evolve, their software and hardware have greatly improved. However, when it comes to the camera section, older phones tend to lag behind in terms of features and capabilities compared to their modern counterparts.

While it’s not a hard and fast rule that every phone should have an exceptional camera experience, mainstream brands have made strides in providing better customization options for their cameras. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for most phones.

Thankfully, you can now enjoy all the interesting and brilliant perks of the Google camera on your smartphone with ease. But before you dive into the installation process, it’s important to understand the Camera2 API.

In this post, we will provide you with a comprehensive tutorial on how to check whether your phone supports the Camera2 API or not. So, let’s get started by exploring what this term means!

What is Camera2 API?

The Application Programming Interface (API) is an essential tool that grants developers access to software and enables them to make modifications based on their preferences.

In the same vein, Camera2 is an Android API that allows developers to access a phone’s camera software. Android being open-source, the company launched the API with the Android 5.0 Lollipop update.

The Camera2 API provides developers with significant control over camera quality, including aspects such as shutter speed, color enhancement, RAW capture, and many more.

This support enables your smartphone to push the camera sensor’s limits, ultimately resulting in more advantageous outcomes.

In addition to these capabilities, the Camera2 API also offers advanced technology such as HDR and other exciting features that currently dominate the market.

With the confirmation of Camera2 API support on your device, you can easily control sensors, enhance single frames, and improve lens results.

For more detailed information about this API, check out the official Google documentation. You’ll undoubtedly find it helpful if you’re interested in knowing more about this powerful tool.

Related Article: How Use LMC 8.4 XML Cofig file

How Many Support levels For Camera2 API

There are five different levels to check Camera2 API

Legacy: Legacy devices that do not support Camera2 API features such as per-frame control. These devices expose capabilities to apps via the Camera2API interface which are almost the same capabilities that are exposed to apps via the Camera1API interface.

Limited: These types of devices support only a subset of all Camera2API capabilities.

Full: These types of phones support all of the major capabilities of Camera API2 and must use Camera HAL 3.2 or higher and Android 5.0 or higher.

Level 3: These phones support YUV reprocessing and RAW image capture, along with additional output stream configurations on top of full Camera2API support.

External: Similar to LIMITED devices with some exceptions. This level is used for external cameras such as USB webcams.

How to Check Camera2 API Support on Any Android Device

Here are methods to check your Android Phone is capable of Google Camera.

Method 1

1. Visit Google Play Store and Install the Manual Camera Compatibility
2. Once installed, open the app and grant the necessary permissions for accurate results.
3. Click on the “Start” button to begin testing Camera2 API compatibility.
4. Wait a few seconds for the compatibility report to be generated. If all the ticks are green, then it is possible to use Google Camera APK on your device.

Following these steps will help you determine if your device is compatible with Camera2 API and can use the Google Camera APK.

Method 2: via ADB Commands

Before proceeding with any further steps, make sure that you have enabled the developer mode on your smartphone. Also, ensure that you have installed the ADB command prompt on your computer to carry out the necessary actions.

• Enable the USB Debugging option from the developer mode on your phone.
• Then, connect your phone to your Windows or Mac computer using a cable.
• Now open either the command prompt or PowerShell (if you’re using Windows) or Terminal Window (if you’re using macOS).
• Enter the command

adb shell "getprop | grep HAL3"

• If you get the following results

[persist.camera.HAL3.enabled]: [1]

[persist.vendor.camera.HAL3.enabled]: [1]

If your smartphone shows full support of the Camera2 API, then it means that you can enjoy all its features without any additional setup. However, if it does not show full support, you may need to enable it manually to access its full capabilities.

Method 2: via Terminal App

• Download the Terminal Emulator app on your Android Phone suitable
• Open the app and enter the command –

getprop | grep HAL3

• If you get the following results

[persist.camera.HAL3.enabled]: [1]

[persist.vendor.camera.HAL3.enabled]: [1]

Similar to the previous method, your device needs to have Camera HAL3 with the full support of the Camera2 API. If the results don’t show complete support, you may have to enable those APIs manually to access all of the features.

Enable camera API 2 (No root)

Most Android phone users are afraid to root their phones, I will guide you to enable Camera2Api without root.

Follow these steps;

1) setup fastboot and adb drivers on pc
2) power off the phone and enter fastboot mode.
3) fire up fastboot terminal and connect your phone to the pc, enabling USB debugging mode from dev. options too.
4) Run the command:

fastboot oem enable_camera_hal3 true

5) reboot
6) check g cam or any camera API testing apps to make sure it’s working.
7) report back here if all is good.

Thanks to Gcamapk.pro

Conclusion

Understanding the importance of Camera2 API support on your Android phone is crucial. Once you have confirmed that your phone supports the API, you won’t need to install any third-party Google camera ports. This is a great example of how software can help improve your camera’s performance.

If you have any questions or doubts, please feel free to leave a comment below, and we will do our best to assist you.