Android Photo Sphere: What It Is, How to Use It GA S REGULAR Menu Lifewire Tech for Humans Newsletter! Search Close GO Mobile Phones > Android

What Is an Android Photo Sphere?

A collection of images can be rendered in 3D

By Marziah Karch Marziah Karch Writer Michigan State University Emporia State University Marziah Karch is a former writer for Lifewire who also excels at Serious Game Design and develops online help systems, manuals, and interactive training modules. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on August 10, 2021 Reviewed by Jon Fisher Reviewed by Jon Fisher Wichita Technical Institute Jonathan Fisher is a CompTIA certified technologist with more than 6 years' experience writing for publications like TechNorms and Help Desk Geek. lifewire's editorial guidelines Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email Android Switching from iOS Android photo spheres are panoramic images that can be taken from some Android devices. Built-in to the Camera app, this feature lets you take 360-degree images of anything around you, and even share them on Google Maps. The Android operating system began supporting photo spheres in Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, and the Nexus 4 was the first phone that shipped with photo sphere capabilities out of the box. Your device must have a gyro sensor in order for it to work.

Taking a Photo

Using the photo sphere feature involves locating dots on the screen so that the camera can capture everything around you. Open the camera app. Tap Photo Sphere from the menu. On some phones, it is hidden in the Modes tab along the bottom of the camera app. After opening the Photo Sphere tool, tap the camera button first, and then line up the circle with the blue circle. And then, locate the white dot on the screen and hold your camera there until it turns blue and the dot disappears. You might have to tilt the phone or tablet in every which way to see the blue dot. Move the camera to the next dot until it turns blue and disappears as well. Repeat this until you no longer see any white dots. You can tap the checkmark/done button at any time to finish, but you scan might not be complete. Tap Done.

Use Cases

A panoramic image offers a significant business case for: Real-estate agents showing off a room.Detectives or other investigators capturing the dynamic of a crime scene.Artists capturing scenic vistas.Journalists capturing a scene for later reference.

Tips and More Information

When taking a photo sphere, remember the following: It may look odd taking pictures of people or other moving objects since the images won't be pieced together well. Landscapes and interior shots are your best bets.Keep one foot on the ground and circle around on that foot only, to avoid varying perspective shots.Have your phone remain directly above your foot while creating the photo sphere to ensure that it captures images fluidly throughout. Because they're not like regular images, such as JPGs that display on most web pages, you might have trouble viewing photo spheres on most devices. The image will most likely look long and flat, with wavy areas where it would normally bend if opened in a panoramic viewer. You can open the photo sphere in the Gallery app on your phone and upload it to Google Photos to view it there. You can also view a photo sphere online via a site like Photo Sphere Viewer or a freeware app such as FSPViewer. The Android photo sphere capability debuted in 2012, and since then, many different smartphone manufacturers have built or offered some sort of 360-degree photography app. For example, Samsung devices can install Surround shot from the camera app to take a 3-D photo of any object. Because there's no standardized format for 360-degree photography, images taken by one device or app may not be fully interchangeable with any other device or app. Since Android device photo spheres, are a Google offering, they're compatible with the Google ecosystem, but your mileage in other platforms may vary. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire How to Sideload the Google Camera App Onto Your Phone The 9 Best Camera Apps That Work for iPhone and Android in 2022 What Is Burst Mode and How to Use It The 4 Best Panoramic Camera Apps of 2022 How to Use the iPhone Camera How to Find Your House on Google Street View How to Use the Motorola Camera App How to Quickly Scan and Digitize Photos How to Scan a QR Code on iPhone or Android How to Free Up Space on Android Phones How to Take Better Sunset Photos With an iPhone Turn off the Annoying Camera Sound on iPhone How to Take a Photo on a Chromebook Foursquare's Swarm App: What It Is and How to Use It How to Upload Saved Photos or Videos to Snapchat How to Turn Off Motion Photo on Android Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies