Google gives Pixel 7 Pro owners more control over macro mode

Google is updating its camera app to give Pixel 7 Pro users more control over its macro mode by adding a toggle that lets them turn it off or on manually instead of having to rely on the auto mode that my colleague Allison Johnson described as “a bit unpredictable”. “While the phone can still try to detect if you’re close enough to a subject as it has since launch, it’s good that there’s an actual menu for those who want finer-grained control.

According to Allison’s testing, the new options reside in the settings cog accessible in the top left corner of the camera’s viewfinder. Google has added a “macro focus” option that lets you choose between disabled, automatic and enabled mode. According 9to5Googlepreviously you could only turn it off temporarily after it was activated.

The change absolutely makes sense; If Google brands the Pixel 7 Pro as a phone for photo-obsessed power users, it should give those users as much control as possible if they want it.