Way back in the day, in the age of burgeoning smartphones, Google released Android 4.2 Jelly Bean on the Nexus 4. With it came a brand new camera mode called “Photo Sphere” that let you take 360-degree photos. It was a huge success, but Google removed the feature in 2023, and that’s a shame.

What was Photo Sphere mode?

Photo Sphere mode is like a panorama that can be shot in all directions, not just side to side. It’s a 360-degree image that takes you back to the moment in a way that a regular photo or panorama just can’t. You don’t just see a cropped rectangle of what your phone was pointed at – you can look around as if you were standing in the same spot where you took the photo.

Taking a Photo Sphere worked essentially the same as taking a regular panorama. The camera app guided you to move your phone in all directions to capture as much of your surroundings as you wanted. Like a panoramic photo, you could move as far as you wanted—it didn’t have to be the full 360 degrees.

As mentioned, Photo Sphere made its debut on the Nexus 4 in 2012. The feature was present on all Nexus and Pixel phones until the Pixel 8 series launched in October 2023. It was also absent from the new Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, and Pixel 9 Pro XL, suggesting it may be gone forever.

Why Photo Spheres were great

Due to its nature, I didn’t use Photo Sphere mode all the time, but in certain situations it was great to have. There are times when a static image or video just can’t do justice to what you’re experiencing. Nothing takes me back to a moment like a Photo Sphere mode.

That’s the magic of Photo Spheres. Looking at old photos is fun, but there’s just something special about looking at an old Photo Sphere. It almost feels like you’re going back in time and looking through your own eyes again. Even a video can’t provide the same level of immersion because you’re only allowed to see what the camera was pointing at.

Here is a photo sphere I uploaded to Google Maps.

Speaking of looking through your own eyes, another cool thing about Photo Spheres is viewing them with VR goggles. Even something as simple as a Google Cardboard viewer—yes, those still work—improves the experience significantly. The Google Photos app places a Cardboard button in the corner of every Photo Sphere and Panorama photo to make it super easy.

In short: Photo Spheres offers an easy way to capture amazing moments right from the Pixel camera app. There are third-party apps that can do the same thing, but they’re usually riddled with ads and in-app purchases and, frankly, don’t work that well. Please bring them back, Google.