| Name | Modified | Size | Downloads / Week |
|---|---|---|---|
| README.md | 2026-09-19 | 17.4 kB | |
| PixelCamera_signed.apk | 2026-09-19 | 1.5 GB | |
| Totals: 2 Items | 1.5 GB | 431 |
# Pixel Camera: Looks & Quick Access Backport
**Unlocking Google Pixel 11's next-generation "Camera Looks" & Viewfinder Quick Access on Pixel 6 through Pixel 10.**
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Overview
Google introduced "Camera Looks" (designated internally as sauce and tomte) and customizable Quick Access Viewfinder Shortcuts with Pixel Camera 11.0.073.972752740.32 on the Pixel 11 family.
Through deep reverse-engineering of Dalvik bytecode and native Halide binaries, we discovered that the complete feature framework is present and functional across older Pixel devices. The feature is withheld exclusively via runtime feature flags and device checks.
This repository provides comprehensive reverse-engineering research, device-by-device compatibility analyses, and the official Morphe patch package (.mpp) to bring these features to older Google Pixel phones directly on-device without root.
Key Features Unlocked
1. Ten Signature Camera Looks (Sauce & Tomte)
Instant tone mapping, color matrix shifts, and organic film grain applied live in the viewfinder and encoded during capture:
| # | Look Preset | Internal Codename | Visual Characteristics |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | Original | sauce_default_label |
Google's classic, true-to-life HDR+ computational look. |
| 1 | Natural | sauce_natural_label |
Subtle softening, neutral skin tones, restrained saturation. |
| 2 | Shadows | sauce_shadows_label |
Deepened, cinematic blacks and punchy moody contrast. |
| 3 | Vanilla | sauce_orange_label |
Warm, golden-hour radiance with soft ambient highlights. |
| 4 | Editorial | sauce_kodachrome_label |
Rich Kodachrome-inspired magazine colors and contrast. |
| 5 | Velvet | sauce_velvia_label |
High-saturation landscape tones reminiscent of Fuji Velvia. |
| 6 | Classic | sauce_portra_label |
Timeless analog film aesthetic inspired by Kodak Portra. |
| 7 | Digi | sauce_digicam_label |
Nostalgic early-2000s compact digital camera punch and flare. |
| 8 | Black Tie | sauce_black_and_white_label |
Fine-grain, high-contrast monochrome with deep dynamic range. |
| 9 | Minimal | sauce_minimal_label |
Clean, desaturated Scandinavian fine-art style. |
2. Customizable Viewfinder Quick Access Controls
- Interactive Viewfinder Slots: Assign Left and Right quick access slots directly from the Camera settings.
- On-Screen Discrete Tick-Slider: Tapping the viewfinder reveals vertical sliders tap or scrub the 10-tick slider to switch Camera Looks in real time without opening the bottom drawer.
- Haptic Feedback: Tick haptics on slider detents with persistent preference storage across restarts.
3. Native Halide & Tomte Grain Engine
- Native C++ Fallback: When vendor Camera HAL tags (
REQUEST_TOMTE_TYPE) are absent on older Tensor SoCs, native routines inlibgcastartup.so(wireless/android/camera/tomte/tomte_tonemap.cc) execute on GPU and CPU. - Neural Style Fallback: Fallback from TPU to CPU floating-point model (
looknet_v2.1_float.tflite). - Hardware Portrait Pipeline: Fully integrated with Google's Gouda & Mantis portrait segmentation pipelines.
4. Pixel Camera Creator Suite
(github.com)- Creator Drawer Tab (
granite): A dedicated creation tool tab in the options menu alongside General settings. - Teleprompter HUD (
biotite): Floating viewfinder script presenter with auto-scrolling, customizable WPM speed, and Compose-based script editor. - Live Audio Visualizer (
mica): Real-time microphone VU level indicator rendered directly over the camera feed. - Social Media Framing (
slate/basalt): 9:16 vertical, 1:1 square, and custom aspect ratio composition guide overlays. - (See
creator-suite-research/for full documentation and patches).
5. 5x Optical Telephoto Portrait Mode (mantis)
- True Optical Telephoto Bokeh: Unlocks physical 5x periscope portrait captures on Pixel 7 Pro, 8 Pro, 9 Pro, and 10 Pro, breaking the artificial 1.5x / 2.0x digital crop restriction.
- Hardware Lens Dispatch (
pwz.d): Automatically routes Gouda portrait requests directly to the telephoto sensor stream (RAW_TELE+PD_TELE) for authentic perspective compression and razor-sharp edge separation. - Dual-Pixel / Stereo Depth Pipeline: Fully leverages hardware PDAF depth estimation alongside Google's synthetic aperture bilateral blur.
6. Dedicated 10x Quick Zoom Viewfinder Button
- 1-Tap 10x Super Res Zoom: Exposes the discrete 10x quick-toggle button on the viewfinder zoom strip alongside
0.5x, 1x, 2x, 5xon Pixel 7 Pro, 8 Pro, and 9 Pro. - Zero Quality Loss: Instantly activates Google's
NativeZoomPlusandNativeFusionZoomcomputational pipelines at a single tap without requiring manual pinch-to-zoom gestures. - (See
pixel-camera-looks-research/PORTRAIT_RESEARCH.mdfor full technical teardown).
Generational Compatibility Matrix
Tested on physical hardware and confirmed through comprehensive Dalvik & native teardowns:
| Generation | Codename | SoC | Looks UI | Quick Access | 5x Portrait | 10x Zoom | Processing Engine | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pixel 11 | frankel / p26 |
Tensor G6 | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | Hardware TPU + HAL | Native |
| Pixel 10 Pro / 10 | frankel (early) |
Tensor G5 | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ (Pro) | ✅ (Pro) | Hybrid TPU / GPU | Verified |
| Pixel 9 Pro / 9 | caiman / tokay |
Tensor G4 | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ (Pro) | ✅ (Pro) | GPU / TPU Fallback | Verified |
| Pixel 8 Pro / 8 | husky / shiba |
Tensor G3 | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ (Pro) | ✅ (Pro) | Mali-G715 GPU | Verified |
| Pixel 7 Pro / 7 | cheetah / panther |
Tensor G2 | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ (Pro) | ✅ (Pro) | GPU / Halide CPU | Verified |
| Pixel 6 Pro / 6 / 6a | raven / oriole |
Tensor G1 | ✅ | ✅ | 4x opt (Pro) | ✅ (Pro) | Halide CPU Worker | Verified* |
[!TIP] *Memory Optimization for 6GB RAM Devices (Pixel 6a / 7a): Continuous burst captures (>4 rapid shots) can trigger low-memory trimming. The patch limits concurrent Halide worker threads to 2 on devices with $\le 6\text{ GB}$ RAM to guarantee continuous stability.
Quick Download
| Asset | Version | Target Audience | Root Required? | Recommended For | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Pixel Camera Morphe Patch (.mpp) |
v1.0.0 |
All Pixel 6 → 10 users | ❌ NO | 1-click on-device patching via Morphe Manager | Download v1.0.0 (.mpp) |
| Patch Source Code (Kotlin) | v1.0.0 |
Developers & Modders | ❌ NO | Inspect bytecode hooks & compile with Gradle | View Source |
Installation Guide
Using Morphe, you patch the official, clean Google Camera APKM directly on your Android phone or PC. No root required, and the patched app installs alongside your stock camera without replacing it.
Method 1: On Your Android Phone (Morphe Manager — Recommended)
- Install Morphe Manager: Download the latest release from morphe.software or GitHub.
- Add Patch Source:
- 1-Click: Tap Add to Morphe Manager on your phone.
- Or Manual Import: Download
morphe-patches-pixelcamera-1.0.0.mppfrom Releases. - Get Base Google Camera:
- Download
Pixel Camera 11.0.073.972752740.32(.apkmbundle) from APKMirror. - Patch & Install:
- In Morphe Manager, tap Select an application → pick the downloaded APKM file.
- Select your desired patches (Camera Looks Backport, 5x Telephoto Portrait & 10x Zoom, and Pixel Camera Clone).
- Tap Patch. Morphe will merge the split assets and apply the bytecode patches directly on your phone.
- Once finished, tap Install!
- Open PixelCamera from your app drawer. All 10 Camera Looks, viewfinder quick-access slots, 5x telephoto portrait mode, 10x zoom button, and creator tools are unlocked!
Method 2: On Your Computer (Morphe Desktop / CLI)
- Download Morphe Desktop from morphe.software.
- Download
morphe-patches-pixelcamera-1.0.0.mppfrom Releases. - Drop the
Pixel Camera 11.0.073APKM into Morphe Desktop and apply the patch package. - Install the resulting
PixelCamera_signed.apkto your phone via ADB:bash adb install -r PixelCamera_signed.apk
Technical Research & Documentation
This repository contains extensive technical teardowns, reverse-engineering analyses, and testing frameworks:
🔍 Core Research Reports
- Master Camera Looks Teardown: Deep technical exploration answering the 10 fundamental architecture questions regarding gating, Halide kernels, neural style models, and vendor HAL tags.
- Viewfinder Quick Access Teardown: Dalvik bytecode analysis of
pie.java,qvb.java,qmn.java, Jetpack Compose integration, and gesture mechanisms. - Portrait Mode Integration Report: Teardown of Gouda, Mantis depth estimation, and Portrait Mode Looks compatibility.
- Generational Compatibility Matrix: Hardware capabilities and HAL tag behavior across Tensor G1, G2, G3, G4, and G5.
Per-Generation Hardware Deep Dives
- Pixel 11 Reference Teardown
- Pixel 10 (Tensor G5) Analysis
- Pixel 9 Pro / 9 (Tensor G4) Analysis
- Pixel 8 Pro / 8 (Tensor G3) Analysis
- Pixel 7 Pro / 7 (Tensor G2) Analysis
- Pixel 6 Pro / 6 / 6a (Tensor G1) Analysis
Verification & Empirical Results
- Test Plan & Protocols: Verification methodology across UI, preview pipeline, capture pipeline, and EXIF metadata.
- Empirical Results & Benchmarks: Real-world latency numbers, frame-rate impact, image diff benchmarks, and logcat traces.
📁 Repository Structure
Patch-Pixel-Camera/
├── README.md # Master repository documentation & quickstart
├── LICENSE # GNU General Public License v3.0 (GPL-3.0)
├── .gitignore # Excludes multi-GB APKs, decompiled trees, & secrets
├── .github/workflows/ # Automated CI workflows (Morphe .mpp builder)
├── patches-bundle.json # Morphe Manager custom source release metadata
├── patches-list.json # Morphe Manager patch catalog & target compatibility
│
├── morphe-patches/ # Official Morphe Patch Package (.mpp) Source
│ ├── README.md # Morphe patch usage & compilation guide
│ ├── gradlew # Gradle wrapper executable (Unix)
│ ├── gradlew.bat # Gradle wrapper executable (Windows)
│ ├── gradle/ # Gradle wrapper JAR, properties & version catalog
│ ├── build.gradle.kts # Root Gradle configuration
│ ├── settings.gradle.kts # Gradle plugin & repository configuration
│ ├── gradle.properties # JVM & caching configuration
│ └── patches/ # Morphe Patches subproject
│ ├── build.gradle.kts # Patch metadata & dependency configuration
│ └── src/main/kotlin/app/morphe/patches/pixelcamera/
│ ├── looks/CameraLooksPatch.kt # Unlocks 10 Looks across Tensor G1–G5
│ ├── quickaccess/QuickAccessPatch.kt # Viewfinder shortcut slots & tick-slider
│ ├── portrait/TelephotoPortraitAndZoomPatch.kt # Mantis 5x Portrait & 10x Zoom button
│ ├── creator/CreatorSuitePatch.kt # Teleprompter HUD, VU meter, & guides
│ └── clone/PixelCameraClonePatch.kt # Non-root clone to GoogleCameraEng
│
├── camera-looks-quick-access/ # Quick Access Shortcut Research & Documentation
│ ├── README.md # Quick Access executive summary & physical test report
│ ├── RESEARCH.md # Viewfinder shortcut & tick-slider reverse-engineering
│ └── COMPATIBILITY.md # Viewfinder gesture & settings compatibility matrix
│
├── creator-suite-research/ # Creator Suite (Teleprompter, VU Meter, Guides) Research
│ ├── README.md # Creator Suite executive summary & feature guide
│ ├── RESEARCH.md # 9-phase reverse engineering & smali analysis report
│ └── COMPATIBILITY.md # Device compatibility matrix (Pixel 6 -> 10 Pro XL)
│
└── pixel-camera-looks-research/ # Camera Looks (Sauce/Tomte) Research & Documentation
├── README.md # Project layout & summary
├── RESEARCH.md # Comprehensive 10-question technical teardown
├── PORTRAIT_RESEARCH.md # Portrait mode & Gouda/Mantis pipeline integration
├── COMPATIBILITY.md # Hardware SoC & HAL compatibility matrix
├── analysis/ # Per-generation device teardowns (Pixel 6 through 11)
└── tests/ # Verification test plans & benchmark results
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Will this replace or break my stock Google Camera?
No. The Morphe patch automatically renames the package identifier to com.google.android.GoogleCameraEng. The patched app installs alongside your official Google Camera as an independent app. Both can run simultaneously, and system OTA updates will not be affected.
Does this require root access?
Root is NOT required. Morphe patches the application bytecode directly and signs it with a release certificate so it installs and runs on any unrooted Pixel 6 through Pixel 10 device.
Do photos taken with Looks save correctly in Google Photos?
Yes. Photos are written to the standard DCIM/Camera directory with complete EXIF and embedded GFileMetadata$Sauce tags, allowing Google Photos to display and backup captures normally.
What Android versions are supported?
Android 14 (API 34), Android 15 (API 35), and Android 16/17 previews. The Morphe patch automatically backports the minSdkVersion requirement from 37 down to 34.
⚠️ Legal Disclaimer
- No Proprietary Binaries Hosted: This repository does NOT host, bundle, or distribute proprietary Google binaries, APKs, compiled native libraries (
.so), or neural network models (.tflite). All modifications are provided strictly as open-source bytecode patch recipes (.mpp) and educational research documentation. - Educational & Interoperability Research: This project is an independent study conducted solely for academic research, reverse-engineering analysis, and device interoperability under fair use (17 U.S.C. § 107).
- Trademark Acknowledgment: Google, Pixel, Google Camera, Android, Tensor, HDR+, and associated marks are trademarks or registered trademarks of Google LLC. This project is an independent community effort and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, or associated with Google LLC or Alphabet Inc.
- Disclaimer of Warranty: All patches, recipes, and documentation are provided on an "AS-IS" basis without warranties of any kind, express or implied. Users assume full responsibility for modifying applications on their own devices.
Made with ❤️ for the Google Pixel Community.
