Google Camera gets twist gesture in Nougat Dev Preview 5

Motorola fans are probably already familiar with this one. The Moto X and its ilk arrived with the ability to launch the default camera app using a rapid double-twist gesture that’s almost exactly like what you would do if your watch gets stuck too high up on your wrist. If you’re inside the camera, then performing this motion would swap between front and rear camera with a satisfying haptic rush. Now Google Camera v4.1 on the fifth Nougat developer’s preview is getting a similar feature.

Although you can’t launch the app cold with this gesture, you are able to swap between cameras. It can be a little counter-intuitive at first, but once you’ve done it a few times, using this method rather than tapping the icon on the screen becomes second nature.

This is only one of the most prominent features to arrive for Google Camera with Nougat. The app is also getting a slew of user interface adjustments that include more intuitive options and cleaner animations. We’re also getting the ability to pause video recordings, a feature that has been a long time coming.

Check out our coverage on the Nougat Dev Preview to get yourself on the cutting edge of the Android operating system, and click the button below to snag the latest version of the Google Camera from the Google Play Store. Give the twisting gesture a spin, then let us know in the comments if it’s something you’ll be using on the regular.