High-res images are explicitly labeled "Hi-Res" when viewing them in Google Photos or your gallery app.
Rich color featureEnable this to end bland photosCloseHidden in the camera settings is a toggle called Rich color in photos.
Many who own a Pixel 9 Pro know its colorimetry leans a bit flat compared to the punchier Pixel 10 Pro.
But if you're like me — obsessed with squeezing every ounce of Pixel camera hardware — these tweaks are a straightforward upgrade.
Even a casual user can effortlessly level up their photos and videos without diving into the manuals of the Pixel camera.
For over a year, the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL has been my daily driver.
It comes with me everywhere, acting as my go-to lens for everything from everyday candid shots to casual product photography.
I already consider it one of the best camera phones I've tested.
It captures photos and videos with rock-solid reliability, and the Pixel's camera interface is as versatile as they come.
You can leave the camera on its default settings and still walk away with consistently great results.
That's exactly what I did for months before realizing I was leaving image quality on the table.
After shooting over 1,000 shots, I've discovered that following a few practices and tweaking some parameters under the hood delivers more compelling photos.
Default settings work
But they're built for general shooting modes
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I'll be the first to admit there's almost nothing to complain about when it comes to the out-of-the-box Pixel camera experience.
Like most users, I can confidently point and shoot, taking photos and videos as-is.
The interface runs better than the Samsung Galaxy camera app in terms of pure usability and interface.
Plus, whenever I want to be more creative and bolder, pro-grade granular controls are only a few quick taps away.
However, I've come to realize that to truly maximize my Pixel's camera potential, I should not rely on the default settings.
After utilizing some adjustments, I noticed improvements in the final output.
Shooting with zoom
Adjust before tapping the shutter
I probably use the telephoto lenses on my Pixel 9 Pro XL just as much as the main wide sensor.
There are days when I shoot exclusively zoomed-in, favoring the 5x optical lens.
I find it infinitely more practical for travel and architectural framing photography, giving me the freedom to compose tighter frames.
But after extensively daily-driving these lenses, I stumbled upon a crucial quirk: You shouldn't snap the shutter the millisecond you switch focal lengths.
For example, if I jump from the main 1x lens straight to the 5x telephoto, I force myself to wait a short moment.
I noticed the software is often still hunting for focus. So if I tap the shutter immediately after swapping lenses, I almost always end up with a frustratingly soft subject.
This same rule applies when zooming out to the standard or ultrawide lenses. I always give the viewfinder a split second to let the scene fully optimize.
Another effective trick to lock in that crispness, especially for portrait photography, is to physically tap your subject on the screen to manually enforce the focal point.
Picking the right zoom value
Avoid using non-whole number zoom values
I genuinely appreciate the granular zoom steps the Pixel camera offers, allowing me to dial in using 0.1 increments.
While that flexibility is fantastic on paper, choosing a fractional zoom level can result in less than ideal image quality.
This is especially true when you're hovering right below the threshold of the next primary optical zoom level.
For instance, pushing the slider to 4.5x or 4.9x means you are digitally cropping into the primary sensor. Instead of settling for that, you can pick the 5x telephoto camera.
Sure, you lose a small area of the frame, but it offers crisper photos as you are using the optical zoom.
Relying on digital zoom introduces a ton of grain, and you lose fine detail, which looks downright awful in low-light environments.
This camera logic applies to the ultrawide snapper, too. Its native zoom is 0.5x, so inching up to 0.8x or 0.9x means you're throwing away the details you'd otherwise get with the default view.
Use 50 MP for portrait shots
It's slower, but there's more room for cropping
For the longest time, I actively avoided shooting at the full 50 MP resolution on the main camera.
My reasoning was simple: It takes considerably longer to process, and it is really only useful in scenes with excellent lighting.
I finally gave it a spin on a few recent trips, and it proved to be useful for portraits and landscape photography.
Although using this high-resolution takes longer to process than a standard 12MP snap, the bump in resolution yields better detail preservation, as seen in the side-by-side image comparison above.
It also gives me more room for cropping and post-edits.
I can punch way into a specific section of the frame and still retain smooth textures without the image breaking down into a pixelated mess.
But there's an obvious trade-off: shutter lag. It takes a full second or longer to capture the frame, and another to finalize processing.
High-res files also eat a lot of device storage, so you should definitely use this feature when needed or in specific scenes.
If you intend to crop, using the optical zoom or walking closer to the subject might be a better option.
High-res images are explicitly labeled "Hi-Res" when viewing them in Google Photos or your gallery app.
Rich color feature
Enable this to end bland photos
Close
Hidden in the camera settings is a toggle called Rich color in photos. It boosts vibrancy in photos by swapping from standard sRGB to a much wider color gamut.
According to Google, this mode gives a 20% boost in overall color richness, with the difference obvious in scenes heavy in green, red, and yellow hues.
Many who own a Pixel 9 Pro know its colorimetry leans a bit flat compared to the punchier Pixel 10 Pro. So, enabling Rich color could help enhance saturation.
Keep in mind, though, that you need a display or monitor capable of rendering that wider gamut to actually see the difference in your gallery.
Depending on your specific hardware and camera app version, Google might have this disabled out of the box.
To turn it on, follow these quick steps:
Tap the settings gear icon in the camera viewfinder. Tap More settings (the three dots). Scroll down until you find the Photo section. Toggle on Rich color in photos.
Alternatively, you can dive straight into these options from your phone's main Settings app.
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What setup works for you
If you just want to point, shoot, and rely on the algorithm, you can comfortably leave your Pixel camera settings alone.
But if you're like me — obsessed with squeezing every ounce of Pixel camera hardware — these tweaks are a straightforward upgrade.
You don't need deep or technical knowledge of photography to utilize it to your advantage.
Even a casual user can effortlessly level up their photos and videos without diving into the manuals of the Pixel camera.
