Joe Maring / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Android 17 now supports vendor-defined camera extensions, allowing phone makers to share custom camera features with all Android apps.
- This could improve photo quality in apps like Instagram, Snapchat, and others.
- The implementation depends on OEMs and developer adoption.
Android 17 Beta 3 is bringing a small but meaningful upgrade that could fix one of Android’s most frustrating camera issues. Google is adding support for vendor-defined camera extensions. In simple terms, this means that Google will now let phone makers share their advanced camera features with third-party Android apps.
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Android has supported camera extensions for some time now to ensure third-party apps have access to features like HDR or night mode. But newer Android phones pack some seriously advanced camera tech.
Google says, “Android 17 adds support for Vendor-defined camera extensions, allowing hardware partners to provide Android apps access to camera features like ‘Super Resolution’ or cutting-edge AI-driven enhancements.”
That means more cool camera features from your Android phones that are locked inside the default camera app can now be made available to third-party apps.
Of course, phone makers will have to implement this on their end and provide access to their camera features to apps. It’s also up to app developers to choose to use these features.
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