The first time I installed Google Camera on a Huawei phone, I was not really expecting much. My Huawei P30 Pro already had a stock camera that was good enough for daily shots. But the moment I took a low-light photo with GCam, the difference was honestly hard to ignore. The shadows actually had detail. The colors looked closer to what my eyes were seeing. That’s when I understood why so many Huawei users keep coming back to this little app.
If you also want to download Google Camera 9.7 for all Huawei phones, you’re in the right place. I’ll walk you through it step by step, the same way I’d explain it to a friend.
Contents
- 1 Google Camera Vs Stock Camera
- 2 Advanced Features
- 3 Additional Options
- 4 Download and Installation
- 5 Compatible Devices
- 6 Using Night Sight and Portrait Mode
- 7 Super Res Zoom
- 8 A Quick Note on Stability
- 9 FAQs
- 9.1 Can I use all the features of the Google Camera on my Huawei phone?
- 9.2 Does my Huawei phone need root access to install GCam 9.7?
- 9.3 Why is the GCam APK crashing on my Huawei phone?
- 9.4 Can I see a live preview of the final image on a Huawei phone?
- 9.5 Why does GCam not work properly on my Huawei phone?
- 9.6 How do I update GCam APK on a Huawei phone?
- 10 What This Means for You
Google Camera Vs Stock Camera
Google Camera, often called GCam, is the official camera app Google built for Pixel phones. It uses something called computational photography, which is just a clean way of saying the software does the heavy lifting that the hardware alone can’t. The app stacks multiple frames, runs them through machine learning models like HDR+ and Night Sight, and gives you a cleaner final shot.
On a Huawei phone, Huawei’s stock camera with its Leica/Xmage tuning is actually one of the best out of the box, but GCam still wins on Night Sight and edge detection. GCam takes the same sensor and gives it smarter software to work with.
The good news is that developers in the modding community have ported these features to work on non-Pixel phones, including almost every Huawei model. GCam 9.7 is one of the more stable builds out there right now.
Advanced Features
Let me explain what actually makes Google Camera 9.7 worth installing on a Huawei phone. If you want the full breakdown of every mode, see our Google Camera features guide.
HDR+ Processing. This is the core engine. It captures several frames in a split second and merges them into one balanced photo. Highlights stop blowing out. Shadows stop crushing. This is the single biggest reason people install GCam.
Night Sight. This one feels like magic the first time you use it. It pulls a usable photo out of almost pitch-black scenes. On a Huawei phone, the difference between Night Sight and the stock night mode is usually obvious.
Astrophotography Mode. On supported Huawei phones with a tripod or a steady surface, you can actually shoot the night sky. Stars show up in the final image.
Portrait Mode. The edge detection here is sharper than what most Huawei stock apps offer, especially around hair, glasses, and curly outlines.
Super Res Zoom. Digital zoom that doesn’t fall apart at 4x or 6x. More on this below.
Top Shot. Captures a few frames around your press and helps you pick the best one.
Additional Options
Beyond the headline features, GCam 9.7 has a few quiet extras that I think are worth knowing about.
RAW Capture (DNG files). If you edit photos in Lightroom or Snapseed, RAW gives you a lot more flexibility. You can recover blown-out skies or push shadows without the image falling apart.
Custom Config Files. This is where things get interesting. Modders create config files (XML files) that fine-tune GCam for specific Huawei models. So a config made for the Huawei P30 Pro will squeeze better results from a Huawei P30 Pro than the default settings will. You drop the config into a folder, load it inside the app, and your camera quality jumps almost instantly.
Based on what I’ve seen across XDA Developers and the GCam Telegram channels, using the right config for your exact Huawei model often matters more than the GCam version itself.
Download and Installation
The Pixel Camera can be downloaded for all Huawei phones from our website (https://gcamapk.org).
It is important to know that some features may not work on every Huawei device, but most users still get the improved image processing and advanced modes.
Download GCam APK for Specific Huawei Phones
- Huawei P60 Pro
- Huawei P60 Art
- Huawei P60
- Huawei P50 Pro
- Huawei P50 Pocket
- Huawei P50
- Huawei P40 Pro+
- Huawei P40 Pro
- Huawei P40
- Huawei P40 Lite
- Huawei P30 Pro
- Huawei P30
- Huawei P30 Lite
- Huawei P20 Pro
- Huawei P20
- Huawei P20 Lite
- Huawei P10 Plus
- Huawei P10
- Huawei Mate 60 Pro+
- Huawei Mate 60 Pro
- Huawei Mate 60
- Huawei Mate X5
- Huawei Mate X3
- Huawei Mate X2
- Huawei Mate 50 Pro
- Huawei Mate 50
- Huawei Mate 40 Pro+
- Huawei Mate 40 Pro
- Huawei Mate 40
- Huawei Mate 30 Pro
- Huawei Mate 30
- Huawei Mate 20 Pro
- Huawei Mate 20 X
- Huawei Mate 20
- Huawei Nova 12 Ultra
- Huawei Nova 12 Pro
- Huawei Nova 12
- Huawei Nova 11 Ultra
- Huawei Nova 11 Pro
- Huawei Nova 11
- Huawei Nova 10 Pro
- Huawei Nova 10
- Huawei Nova 9 Pro
- Huawei Nova 9
- Huawei Nova 8 Pro
- Huawei Nova 8
- Huawei Nova 7 Pro
- Huawei Nova 7
- Huawei Nova 6
- Huawei Nova 5T
- Huawei Nova 5
- Huawei Y9a
- Huawei Y9 Prime
- Huawei Y8p
- Huawei Y7p
- Huawei Y7 Pro
- Huawei Y6p
- Huawei Y6 Pro
- Huawei Enjoy 70
- Huawei Enjoy 60
Compatible Devices
Here’s the good news. GCam 9.7 works on a wide range of Huawei phones. Based on reports from the GCam community, here’s what runs it well:
- Huawei P: P60 Pro, P60, P50 Pro, P50, P40 Pro+, P40 Pro, P40, P30 Pro, P30
- Huawei Mate: Mate 60 Pro+, Mate 60 Pro, Mate 60, Mate 50 Pro, Mate 50, Mate 40 Pro, Mate 40
- Huawei Nova: Nova 12 Ultra, Nova 12 Pro, Nova 12, Nova 11 Pro, Nova 11, Nova 10
- Huawei Y / Honor (older): Y9a, Y8p, Y7p, Honor 9X, Honor 8X
Huawei phones run Kirin or Snapdragon depending on the model and year; both work, but newer HarmonyOS builds without Google Mobile Services need a couple of extra steps to install the APK.
This isn’t confirmed for every single model, so if you don’t see yours listed, it’s still worth a try. Many users have reported success on phones not officially listed in our all Android phones guide.
Using Night Sight and Portrait Mode
These two features alone are reasons enough to keep GCam installed on your Huawei phone.
Night Sight. Open GCam, swipe to Night Sight mode, hold the phone as steady as you can (a small tripod helps but isn’t required), and tap the shutter. The exposure runs for about 3 to 6 seconds. Don’t move. The phone takes multiple frames and stacks them. The result is a photo that looks like it was taken in much brighter conditions.
A small tip from my own testing on a Huawei P30 Pro. If you have a flat surface nearby (a railing, a table, even a stack of books), rest the phone there. Sharpness improves a lot.
Portrait Mode. Tap Portrait. Frame your subject between 1.5 feet (about 0.45 meters) and 8 feet (around 2.4 meters). GCam handles the background blur using a depth model. You can adjust blur intensity after the shot, which is something many Huawei stock apps don’t let you do as flexibly.
Super Res Zoom
Super Res Zoom is one of those features that quietly does something impressive.
Most phones lose detail the moment you zoom past 2x. GCam takes a different approach. When you zoom, the app captures a quick burst of slightly shifted frames (thanks to natural hand movement) and combines them into a single higher-resolution image. You get sharper detail without needing a dedicated telephoto lens.
This works really well on Huawei phones that have a single main camera or modest zoom hardware. On the Huawei P30 Pro, I noticed a clear improvement at 3x and 4x compared to the stock zoom.
For the best results:
- Zoom to your target focal length before pressing the shutter
- Keep your hands steady but don’t fight natural micro-movements (the algorithm actually uses them)
- Use it in daylight for the cleanest output
A Quick Note on Stability
GCam mods are made by independent developers, not by Google. So updates aren’t always perfect. If one version crashes on your Huawei phone, try a slightly older 9.x build. GCam 9.7 is one of the more stable releases this year, but small bugs do show up depending on your Huawei model and the EMUI / HarmonyOS version it’s running.
FAQs
Can I use all the features of the Google Camera on my Huawei phone?
Does my Huawei phone need root access to install GCam 9.7?
Why is the GCam APK crashing on my Huawei phone?
Can I see a live preview of the final image on a Huawei phone?
Why does GCam not work properly on my Huawei phone?
How do I update GCam APK on a Huawei phone?
What This Means for You
If you’ve been disappointed by your Huawei camera in low light, or you want better portraits and zoom shots without buying a new phone, downloading Google Camera 9.7 is one of the highest-value 10 minutes you’ll spend on your device. No cost. No root needed. Just better photos.
Once you pair GCam 9.7 with a config tuned for your exact model, your phone basically gets a free camera upgrade. I’ve seen older Huawei phones produce shots that look surprisingly close to what a Pixel produces.
Go ahead, download Google Camera 9.7 for your Huawei phone, load a good config, and take a few test shots tonight. You’ll see the difference right away.
Related guides: GCam for Honor phones · GCam for Samsung phones