Google is rolling out a Pixel Camera 10.2 update that seems to be getting users even more confused

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Google is rolling out a Pixel Camera 10.2 update that seems to be getting users even more confused News By David Nield published 11 December 2025

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The camera app on the Pixel 10 works differently (Image credit: Blue Pixl Media)

• The Pixel Camera 10.2 update is rolling out now
• Contrary to initial reports, it doesn't look as though much has changed
• The Pixel 10 uses the camera app slightly differently

The primary reason for many people picking up one of the best Pixel phones is to take advantage of the photo-taking capabilities – something these handsets are renowned for – and the default Pixel Camera app is now being updated to version 10.2.

On the face of it, this is a fairly innocuous and minor update – but as per 9to5Google, there does seem to be some confusion over a tweak to the quick settings sliders that you can use to adjust white balance, brightness, and shadows.

To begin with, it appeared that Google had returned these sliders back to their original positions after a tweak in Pixel Camera 10.1, which put shadows above brightness on the right hand side. That's arguably a little counter-intuitive, as you'll probably want to adjust brightness first and foremost, then shadows after.

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As noted in the 9to5Google report though, it seems that version 10.1 change didn't actually happen: the shadows top/brightness bottom configuration was actually exclusive to the Google Pixel 10 series at launch, and hasn't changed in version 10.2. All other Pixels still show brightness at the top, on either version 10.1 or version 10.2.

Keep up at the back

Look out for these sliders in the Pixel Camera app (Image credit: Future)

It's all rather confusing and begs the question why Google would do something different on the Pixel 10 versus every other Pixel in exactly the same app. I've checked the Pixel Camera 10.1 app on a Pixel 9 Pro Fold, and the brightness slider is indeed above the shadow slider on the right, which presumably won't change with v10.2.

These quick access sliders appear when you tap the viewfinder while taking a photo, but you need to enable them first: in the Camera app, tap the gear icon (lower left), then tap the three dots, then enable Quick access controls. These were actually rolled out last year, with the v9.7 update.

Long story short, these sliders aren't changing, despite reports to the contrary that seem to be based on the 9to5Google article before it was updated. If you are seeing anything different when you get the v10.2 update though, do let me know in the comments.

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So if the quick settings sliders haven't changed in Pixel Camera 10.2, what has? Not much, it would appear, except for bug fixes and stability improvements, with some Pixel 10 users hoping for a fix for a video stabilization issue that's previously been reported.

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Dave is a freelance tech journalist who has been writing about gadgets, apps and the web for more than two decades. Based out of Stockport, England, on TechRadar you'll find him covering news, features and reviews, particularly for phones, tablets and wearables. Working to ensure our breaking news coverage is the best in the business over weekends, David also has bylines at Gizmodo, T3, PopSci and a few other places besides, as well as being many years editing the likes of PC Explorer and The Hardware Handbook.

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