Pixel Camera Archives

AppWizard

December 16, 2025

Google’s making a silly and annoying change to how you uninstall system app updates

Google has removed the option for Android users to uninstall updates for system apps directly through the Play Store. Users can no longer click an uninstall button within app listings, and only an open button is available. This change affects devices running Play Store versions from 49.1.32-31 to 49.2.25-31, including system apps that do not appear in the app drawer, such as Android Auto and Pixel Camera Services. Users must now access app settings through the device's main settings menu to uninstall updates, which complicates app management. This change follows Google's recent enhancements allowing remote uninstallation of apps from multiple devices, raising questions about the rationale behind the removal of the uninstall option for system app updates.

AppWizard

December 15, 2025

Google Makes Uninstalling System App Updates More Complicated Than It Needs to Be

Google has removed the "Uninstall updates" button from the Play Store interface for core system apps, requiring users to navigate through the Settings app to roll back updates. This change affects several key system applications, including Android Auto, Android System WebView, and Pixel Camera Services. Users can now only find an "Open" button in the Play Store for these apps. To uninstall updates, users must long-press the app icon, select "App info," tap the three-dot menu, and choose "Uninstall updates." This alteration adds complexity to the process of reverting to earlier app versions.

AppWizard

October 28, 2025

Pixel Camera finally works again on GrapheneOS — and no downgrade is needed

The Pixel Camera app has faced issues on de-Googled operating systems like GrapheneOS, crashing or failing to launch without Google Play Services due to a missing font. Users have reverted to older app versions for functionality. A solution is available for GrapheneOS users on version v2025102300 and earlier, allowing them to install the GmsCompatLib app version 100 from the GrapheneOS store to fix the crashing issue. An upcoming update, version v2025102600, is in Alpha and will include the necessary fixes natively, eliminating the need for the compatibility app. Users can choose to install the app or wait for the system update.

AppWizard

October 23, 2025

The Pixel Camera app now requires Play Services for the silliest of reasons (APK teardown)

The latest update of the Pixel Camera app (version 10.x) has introduced a dependency on Google Play Services, causing crashes and preventing the app from launching on de-Googled systems like GrapheneOS. This issue stems from the app's requirement for the Google Sans Flex font, which is only available through Google Play Services. A crash log indicated that the new version references this font resource ID (0x7f090013), a change not present in the previous version (9.9), which worked on de-Googled Android builds. Users can revert to the older version (9.9.106.773153235.19) or use sandboxed Play Services to continue using the latest version without issues.

AppWizard

October 23, 2025

It looks like Google just locked out GrapheneOS users from the Pixel Camera app

Google's Pixel Camera app version 10.x is incompatible with privacy-centric operating systems like GrapheneOS, requiring Google Play Services and causing crashes for users who prefer a de-Googled experience. Users can revert to version 9.9.106.773153235.19 (Build ID 68469120) through the Aurora Store by uninstalling the current app and installing the older version, while blocking future updates. Users with sandboxed Google Play Services on GrapheneOS report no issues with the latest update, indicating a divide in experiences based on configurations. The GrapheneOS team plans to develop their own camera application aiming for Pixel-level image quality.