Google has removed a handy feature from Pixel Camera app; Android 16 QPR1 Beta 2 brings need change to on-going call chip

Google giveth, and Google taketh away! That pretty much sums up these two new developments that Pixel users should look out for. In one case a once‑handy shortcut has quietly vanished from the Pixel Camera app. In another Android 16 QPR1 Beta 2 has made ongoing calls easier to manage without leaving whatever you’re doing. Here is what you need to know.

Pixel Camera sheds Social Share feature

Google’s June feature drop arrived with Pixel Camera version 9.9 but also removed a shortcut many users relied on. The Social Share option is gone from the app settings, according to a report by 9to5Google. That meant you could swipe up on the circular preview of your last photo to send it quickly to any of your top three apps along with Quick Share as a default fourth choice. Even WhatsApp had shown up there until recently. The mini menu was a fast way to share memories. Now that option has vanished without warning.

My Pixel 7a still hasn’t bagged the Camera v9.9 update yet, despite being on the June patch, so here are some screenshots of the Social Share option for reference:

This change feels deliberate rather than an accidental bug. The Social Share setting has simply disappeared from the menu in version 9.9. At the same time Google added a new education hub for photo tips and tricks. You may spot a question mark icon in the top right corner of the viewfinder in any shooting mode. Tap that to explore quick guides on panorama shots macro focus and night sky photography along with real examples that credit the original photographer. Under a separate How To tab you will find step by step instructions for each mode.

That hub is still rolling out by server update so not everyone sees it just yet. But the loss of Social Share is immediate and final until Google decides otherwise. If you liked being able to share directly from the camera viewfinder you may need to find another shortcut or rely on the gallery app for now.

Android 16 QPR1 Beta 2 adds controls to ongoing call chip

For the past four years Pixel phones have shown a floating call chip in the status bar during a phone call. Tap it and you will be taken to the full-screen call interface. Android 16 QPR1 Beta 2 changes that. Now tapping the chip brings up a small pop‑up that matches what you see in the notification shade, as reported by Android Authority. From that bubble you can hang up a call toggle the speaker or mute your microphone without leaving the most recent app you had open.

If you still want the full call screen you can tap the pop‑up to get there. That simple tweak saves time when you do not want to exit a game browse the web or keep writing a note while you handle quick call tasks. It follows a pattern Samsung adopted in its One UI software for timers media playback and other live controls. It is not clear when all partners will copy this behavior but it may hint at the future of Android Live Updates.

Google first introduced Live Updates in Android 16 to let apps display real-time information in the status bar. With this change to the call chip, we get an early look at how interacting with those updates will work in practice. We may see more apps adopt live activity-style chips that let us control functions without jumping to full screen.

That said, feel free to share your thoughts on these developments in the comments section below.