Joe Fedewa
A long time ago, in the burgeoning smartphone era, Google launched Android 4.2 Jelly Bean on the Nexus 4. Along with it came a brand new camera mode called “Photo Sphere,” which allowed for taking full 360-degree photos. It was a big hit, but Google removed the feature in 2023, and that’s a shame.
What Was Photo Sphere Mode?
Photo Sphere mode is like a panorama that can be captured in all directions, not only side to side. It’s a 360-degree image that puts you back in the moment in a way that a normal photo or regular panorama simply can’t do. You’re not just seeing a cropped rectangle of what your phone was pointed at—you can look around as if you were standing in the same spot where you took the photo.
Taking a Photo Sphere worked essentially the same as a regular panorama. The camera app guided you to move your phone in all directions to capture as much of your surroundings as you wanted. Like a panorama photo, you could move as much as you wanted—it didn’t have to be the full 360 degrees.
As mentioned, Photo Sphere made its debut on the Nexus 4 in 2012. The feature was present on all Nexus and Pixel phones until the Pixel 8 series launched in October 2023. It was also not present on the new Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, and Pixel 9 Pro XL, indicating that it may be gone for good.
Why Photo Spheres Were Great
Due to its nature, Photo Sphere mode is not something I was using all the time, but it was amazing to have in certain situations. There are moments when a static image or video simply can’t do justice to what you’re experiencing. Nothing puts me back in a moment like a Photo Sphere can.
That’s the magic of Photo Spheres. Looking at old photos is fun, but there’s just something extra special about looking at an old Photo Sphere. It almost feels like you’re being transported back in time and looking through your own eyes again. Even a video can’t replicate the same level of immersion because you’re only allowed to see what the camera was pointed at.
Here’s a Photo Sphere I uploaded to Google Maps.
Speaking of looking through your own eyes, another cool thing about Photo Spheres is viewing them with VR glasses. Even something as basic as a Google Cardboard viewer—yes, they still work—greatly enhances the experience. The Google Photos app puts a Cardboard button in the corner of every Photo Sphere and panoramic photo to make it super easy.
The long and short of it is Photo Spheres offered an easy way to capture immersive moments directly from the Pixel camera app. There are third-party apps that can do the same thing, but they’re usually littered with ads, in-app purchases, and, quite frankly, don’t work as well. Please bring back them back, Google.