Google's December Pixel Drop is currently rolling out with a bunch of new features, but there's one you may have missed: the new version of the Pixel Camera app, version 9.7, reintroduces manual controls to the main screen (via Reddit). This means that it is now much easier to control white balance, brightness, and shadows.

To be clear, none of these features were removed from the Pixel Camera itself. My Pixel 9 Pro has not yet installed the update, and all three options are available in the camera's settings menu. What the updater does provide is the ability to pin these settings to the camera's main screen.

This means that Google will once again allow users to manually change settings without having to look through multiple menus. The last thing you need when trying to get the perfect shot is to spend a few seconds trying to find each and every setting.

These are not exactly new features, but Google removed the Quick Access option when they released v9.1 of Pixel Camera. Why? Not certain, but they obviously realized the mistake at some point.

So with the rollout of v9.7, these quick options have returned. However, they must be toggled on in the settings menu of the camera app. Look for the Quick Access Control option. If not, you will have to go a long way and tweak the settings.

Android Police also notes that this version of the Pixel Camera adds new features to the Pixel Fold and 9 Pro Fold. Both models now feature a dual-screen portrait mode. As the name implies, it allows users to take portrait photos with both screens active, providing a preview for themselves and the person they are photographing.

Unfortunately, the update is still being rolled out and has not yet reached anyone here at Tom's Guide. So you'll have to be patient until it hits the Play Store for you.