Google Adds New Accessibility Features to the Pixel Camera

Google recently announced that it was bringing over some new and useful accessibility features to supported Pixel smartphones, designed to help people with low vision. As such, the company rolled out the “Magnifier” feature, as well as new updates to the “Guided Frame” feature.

With Magnifier, users can access their Pixel phone’s camera to zoom in on objects and visual elements around them, similar to how one would use a magnifying glass. The app was developed in collaboration with the Royal National Institute of Blind People and National Federation of the Blind.

Magnifier of course works with text that might be too small, or signs that might be too far away or unreadable for some users. Additionally, the feature will come with controls to adjust color filters, brightness, and even contrast. The app is available for Pixel models from the Pixel 5 and up, save for the Pixel Fold.

For Guided Frame, Google also included an update that improves the feature’s recognition capabilities, so it’s not just limited to faces. Guided Frame will now be able to detect animals and objects, and will work with both the front and rear cameras. The feature is currently available on the Pixel 8 series phones, although it will arrive for Pixel 6 and 7 series devices later in the year.

Source: Google