Understanding Google’s Add Me feature on the Pixel 9 camera
Google has recently shared details on how the ‘Add Me’ camera feature works on the Pixel 9, making it easier for everyone to understand this exciting new tool. ‘Add Me’ didn’t catch on with users until the holiday season, but it’s now becoming a favorite among Pixel users.
The idea for ‘Add Me’ was first suggested by a member from Google’s ‘Creative Camera’ team back in August 2022. This team focuses on reimagining photography, aiming to create the best possible images and videos on mobile devices, and finding new ways to capture and experience moments. They’ve already brought us features like Night Sight and Best Take, with Magic Eraser and Magic Editor now available in Google Photos too.
Google is committed to pushing the boundaries in photography, ensuring that the Pixel’s camera remains a key reason for choosing these phones. They’re also looking to extend their innovative work to other Google products, like Google Photos and the Android ecosystem, to make high-quality photography more accessible to everyone.
The ‘Add Me’ feature involved teamwork not just from the Creative Camera team but also from the main Pixel Camera group and the Google XR division, which focuses on augmented and virtual reality. When they were brainstorming how to make ‘Add Me’ work, they tried various methods before deciding that augmented reality was the best way to align and frame the photos.
Creating an interface that was simple enough for everyone to use was a challenge, requiring lots of trial and error to get it right. Additionally, the use of a TPU (Tensor Processing Unit) was crucial because it allowed the phone to handle the AR preview and merge the photos much faster than if they had used a GPU or CPU.
In summary, ‘Add Me’ is not just a feature but a demonstration of Google’s ongoing commitment to enhancing how we capture memories, making sure that even the photographer can be part of the picture. This blend of AR and advanced processing power showcases Google’s vision for the future of mobile photography.