While some Android phones might have Google beat at specs, design, or sheer performance, it's hard to compete with the company's software tricks — especially regarding the camera. One of the coolest photo-focused features in years launched alongside the Pixel 6 last year: Magic Eraser. Google is adding some new functionality to this tool with the Pixel 6a next week, but we're already getting a preview ahead of the phone's arrival.
Magic Eraser already made Photoshop all but outdated for millions of users, as removing objects from frame is now as simple as swiping your finger across a screen. With the Pixel 6a — along with other supported Pixel phones, presumably — Google is adding a new Camouflage mode, one that allows you to reduce distractions in an image without distortion or object removal. Instead, this tool makes it easy to change the color of anything in the shot, all to better blend into the backdrop or foreground.
We've previously seen Google demonstrate how this feature works with an example involving a cooler at the beach, changing from bright and vivid green to a much more dull sand tone with the touch of the display. A new tweet from Esper.io's Mishaal Rahman demonstrates it in all its glory, and it might be even more impressive than Magic Eraser on its own. In the tweet, Rahman highlights two blue benches taking up space in the foreground of a shot of Houston's SpaceX Falcon 9 booster exhibit. In seconds, those blue benches turn black, blending into the shot without erasing them from existence entirely.
Rahman also sent us a few unique images showing how the feature works on a water bottle in the background of a selfie. This example isn't quite as impressive — the worse lighting and larger object likely have something to do with this — but it's still a cool demo of what could be one of the most useful photography tricks to keep up your sleeve in years.
The Pixel 6a is set to go up for pre-order later this week, with units hitting store shelves on July 28th. While this feature is presumably launching with Google's latest mid-range phone, don't expect it to stay exclusive to that particular model. Even if the older Pixel 6 and 6 Pro don't get it through official means, it's easy to bring the Magic Eraser to any of the company's older models — something that will likely be true for this tool, as well.