The advantage of using your Android’s front-facing camera is that you can pose for your selfie or see if everyone fits in the snap or not. The downside, however, is that you’re using a camera with lower resolution than the rear-facing one. Various phones can take great selfies with a good resolution, but if you want the superior quality the camera on the back offers, you can use the following methods to easily take a selfie with the rear camera on an Android phone.
1. By Trial and Error
The easiest way to take picture with the rear camera is to guess where to position for the perfect shot and use trial-and-error. Take a picture, then look at how it turned out and arrange the position of the device accordingly. It might take a few tries, but you’ll eventually get it right.
Since you won’t be able to see if the image is clear or not, make sure you give the app enough time to use the auto-focus feature. Setting a timer will give you enough time to pose and allow the stock camera app to focus properly.
You don’t necessarily need to hold the phone with your hand. You can prop it up using an object you have around and wait for the timer to go off while you’re looking at the camera. If you have a selfie stick, this is most likely a button on the handle that you can press when you’re ready to take a photo.
How to Set a Timer on Your Android Camera
It’s recommended that you set a timer when using the main camera for selfie-taking. Follow the instructions below to set a timer on your phone. Note that these steps may differ based on the phone model you have.
Open the camera app on your phone. The app will open in the mode you previously used, so make sure you select the “Photo” option at the bottom.
Check the upper part of the display. OnePlus phones, for instance, have the timer icon positioned in the upper-left corner of the display.
Tap on it to select the number of seconds before the camera goes off.
Press the white button at the bottom to snap the photo, then quickly position yourself in front of the camera.
Alternatively, on other phone models like the Pixel, you may need to swipe down on the Camera app to bring up the Timer option.
2. Using Third-Party App
You can use one of the third-party camera apps out there to make taking selfie with rear camera easier. Most of them like Candy Cam have a timer option, and you can shoot pictures with filters already applied. There’s also a Touch Shot feature which enables you to snap an image by tapping anywhere on the screen. Below we show you how to use Candy Cam.
Open Candy Cam on your phone.
Tap on the Camera button at the bottom of the display.
Click on the option with three dots in the circle at the top of the screen.
From there turn on the Timer. Press repeatedly to prologue the time until the camera snaps the photo.
5 Make sure you also activate the “Touch Shot” option.
Now all you have to do is make sure you position the phone correctly. Take a few photos from different angles and see which one you like best.
If you’re not doing a good job at positioning the camera on your own, you can always get an app like the Back Camera Selfie-Voice Guide and have it guide you via voice instruction. It will tell you where you need to move your rear camera to take a great selfie.
You’ll hear the app say things like “up,” “down,” “right,” “left” or “smile” once you’ve positioned yourself in the perfect spot. You don’t have to worry about pressing any button to take the selfie with the rear-facing camera, as the app does that for you.
Next, the app will show you a preview of the picture, complete with an option to take another shot, approve it, share it or even print it. You can have the app bark its instructions in various languages, including German, Spanish, Italian, Chinese, Russian and more.
3. Fingerprint Scanner on Android
Some smartphones offer the option to use the fingerprint scanner to snap photos. For example, on OnePlus phones, this feature is native and can be turned off from Settings. To use this OnePlus feature, follow the instructions below.
Open Settings on your OnePlus phone.
Select “Buttons & gestures.”
Toggle on the “Long press to take photo” option at the bottom.
Once this feature is active, you’ll just have to long press on your phone’s fingerprint sensor to take a picture.
This is extremely helpful if you’re trying to take a selfie with the rear camera. If you don’t have an OnePlus phone, don’t worry – you can achieve the same effect by installing a third-party app like Dactyl from the Play Store.
4. Volume Buttons on Phone
Alternatively, you can use your phone’s volume keys to make snapping a selfie easier. Again, not all phones offer this option. You’ll need a Pixel to use the volume keys as the shutter button.
Open Settings on your Pixel phone.
Search for the term “Camera.”
Select “Gestures” under the Camera section.
Tap on “Gestures.”
Click on “Volume key action.”
Make sure the “Shutter” option is selected.
Long press on one of the volume buttons to take a picture. Super easy!
5. Google Assistant
Ask Google Assistant for help take a selfie hands-free with the rear camera. Simply say, “Hey Google, take a photo,” and the helper will reply “Ok, get ready.”
You should already be holding the phone in position with the rear camera pointed at you when you utter these words. Once the assistant answers, you have three seconds to pose for your selfie.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What should I do if my selfies turn out looking shaky?
The best solution to quickly fix this issue is to place the phone on a surface. Prop it up against something, such as a stack of books or a bottle of water. set a timer or get help from Google Assistant to snap the photo. Alternatively, you can get the assistance you need from the Back Camera Selfie-Voice Guide app. A selfie stick may also be of help.
2. How do I get better at framing my blind selfies?
Through trial and error, for the most part. Snap a few pictures, then check out the results and adjust accordingly until you get something you’re happy with. Taking the perfect selfie takes time, so you shouldn’t really expect to get it right from the get-go. You can skip this part and get the audio instruction app mentioned above, but the results are going to be quite standard. If you prefer a more creative approach to selfies, taking multiple shots is the way to go.
3. What if I tried all the above methods but still don’t like the results?
Selfies taken with the rear camera will look a bit different than the usual selfies you’re used to. This is due to a wide range of reasons, including that the rear camera has a wider lens and that the selfie camera usually shows you a mirrored version of yourself. (The option can be disabled.) But overall, the selfies you take with the rear camera will turn out to be more realistic than the ones you snap with your selfie camera.
Keep that in mind when you assess the quality of a rear camera selfie. If you feel like there’s still room for improvement when it comes to framing, you could ask a friend to assist you, and they can help you get a shot that shows your best angle, with a lot less trial and error involved.
Wrapping Up
Depending on your phone model, it can be easier than you think to take a good selfie with the rear camera. You can always download a few apps to help make sure you get a decent selfie without having to worry you’ll only get half your face in the shot.
If you’re using an iPhone rather than an Android device, learn how to set a timer on your device so that it’s easier to take selfies with the rear camera. On the other hand, if you tend to snap selfies on a regular basis and need a place to store them, learn about the best five apps that will automatically back up your pics for free on Android.
Alexandra is passionate about mobile tech and can be often found fiddling with a smartphone from some obscure company. She kick-started her career in tech journalism in 2013, after working a few years as a middle-school teacher. Constantly driven by curiosity, Alexandra likes to know how things work and to share that knowledge with everyone.
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