The user doesn't have to capture a full Photo Sphere in any of the five modes and stopping early can sometimes result in a better photo than forcing a failed capture. Pausing at each dot target that appears in the camera view allows the Pixel to capture a sharp image before moving on to the next target. This makes it easier to rotate the phone on this axis. The best method is to grip the Pixel high up with a finger on either edge of the phone and in line with the camera. To capture the very best Photo Spheres of any type, the key is to keep the Pixel camera at a fixed location. With a few tips, it's possible to get great quality horizontal and vertical panoramas, wide-angle shots, and fisheye effects. After processing, the Photo Sphere will be ready to view. The Pixel display will show a rough preview until the last dot is centered, completing the capture. The phone should then be moved to center the next dot and so on to fill in a complete 360 image. Multiple gray dots will be overlaid in an AR display and the viewfinder should be centered on a dot until it turns blue and then held steady until the circle is outlined. Tapping Photo Sphere and then the shutter button will start the process. To capture a Photo Sphere with a Pixel phone, the Modes tab should be selected in the Camera app to see additional options.

It's even possible to view 360-degree images with a VR headset, such as Oculus Quest. Rotating and tilting in place while looking at the phone changes the view as if standing where the photo was taken.

The amazing thing about Google's Photo Sphere images is that they can be displayed on the phone in a VR-like view that matches the image movement to a smartphone's accelerometer. Related: The 5 Best Camera Apps For Google Pixel 6 & Pixel 6 Pro

Photosphere google cardboard