Moto G Phone Guide

Moto G 2015 camera guide

Detailed guide on how to use Moto G 2015 camera ( in Moto G 3rd Gen).

Update: Moto G 2o15 camera shutter sound problem after Android Marshmallow update and the workaround

In some regions. Android Marshmallow (Android 6.0) update has been rolled out to Moto G 2015 (Moto G 3rd Gen).

When you are enjoying the new features in Android Marshmallow update for Moto G 2015, you may notice that the shutter sound setting was removed from the camera app.

So, there is no direct ways to silence camera for Moto G 2015 as you can in Lollipop.

This is a known problem. But it is NOT a bug because most pre-installed camera apps in Android will remove the shutter sound option due to possible legal issues and some implementation changes in Marshmallow.  We are not sure whether Motorola will change mid to bring this feature back.

A simple workaround is to lower the ringer volume.  The camera shutter sound volume follows ringer’s volume.

You can press the volume down button when there are no apps are opened.  This will adjust ringer volume.

If camera shutter sound does not follow the settings, you may try to clear cache  and clear data for camera app in Settings– Apps–Camera.

For other problems after Android Marshmallow update, please check this post.

As discussed in this post, Moto G 2015 (Moto G 3rd Gen) got significant improvements in camera. The existing camera guide for Moto G and Moto G 2014 (Moto G 2nd Gen) here is inadequate for Moto G 2015.

So, instead of updating the Moto G camera guide, a new Moto G 2015 camera guide specially for Moto G 3rd Gen (Moto G 2015) is created here.

If you are a owner of Moto G or Moto G 2nd Gen (Moto G 2014), please check the guide here.

How to launch Moto G 2015 camera?

There are several different ways to launch Moto G 2015 camera. Except for the quick launch (method 1), the methods apply to Moto G and Moto G 2nd Gen (Moto G 2014) as well.

  1. Quick launch (new in Moto G 2015). Twist your wrist twice to open the camera in Moto G 2015. This used to be an exclusive feature in Moto X and Moto X 2nd Gen(Moto X 2014).  You can use quick launch at any time even when the phone is locked. This is the fastest method to launch Moto G 2015 camera.
  2. From Moto G 2015 home screen. In Moto G 2015 home screen, by default, you can find the camera icon. Tap the camera icon to launch the camera in Moto G 3rd Gen. If you cannot find the camera icon in Moto G 2015 home screen, you can add it to the home screen by following this guide.
  3. From Moto G 2015 apps screen. Camera icon can also be found in Moto G 2015 apps screen.
  4. From Moto G 2015 lock screen. By default, camera shortcut is available in the Moto G lock screen. Drag the camera icon to the left side to launch Moto G 2015 camera. This methods works even when Moto g 3rd Gen is locked.
  5. From Gallery app. In Gallery app, you can switch to camera roll. Then you can find the camera icon. Tap it to open camera on Moto G 2015.

Please note, if you launch Moto G 2015 camera when the phone is locked, photo editing features will be disabled.  In other words, you can take photos or record videos without unlocking your Moto G. You  can view them after taken. But you cannot edit them without unlocking your Moto G.

Moto G 2015 camera interface

Once you start Moto G 2015 camera interface, you are ready to take photos.

As in previous generations of Moto G, there is no shutter button to take photos. You simply tap anywhere on the screen to take photos instantly.

You can switch between front and rear camera with the camera switch button as shown below.

Tap the video camera icon as shown below to start the recording immediately. There is no switch between camera mode and video recording mode. Your Moto G 2015 camera is ready to take photos and to record video once you start the Moto G 2015 camera interface. If you were using other brands of smartphones, you need get used to it.

moto_g_2015_camera_guide_1_camera_interface

How to change Moto G 2015 camera settings?

Motorola camera app is a bit confusing for new users.

To access Moto G 2015 camera settings, swipe to right side on the camera interface as shown above. A settings ring will appear as shown above.

You need rotate the ring to see all settings.

Just FYI, if you swipe to left side, you will open Gallery app with last photo opened.

What are the available settings for Moto G 2015 camera?

Although Motorola tries to make it easy to take photos quickly without fiddling around the settings, you may want to change some of your Moto G 2015 camera settings  so that the camera can serve you better.

To access Moto G 2015 camera settings, you need swipe to right side in the camera interface as mentioned above.

The Moto G 2015 camera settings are placed in a ring. You can rotate the ring to access all available camera settings for Moto G 2015.

moto_g_2015_camera_guide_2_hdrHDR

Turn on/off  HDR (high dynamic range) effect for better pictures in challenging lighting situations, such as outdoors.

The available options include Auto (default), On and Off.

moto_g_2015_camera_guide_3_flashFlash

Turn on/off Moto G 2015 camera flash.

The available options include On, Off, and Auto Flash.

Please note, for Moto G 2015 front camera, the flash is actually using screen.

moto_g_2015_camera_guide_4_control_focus_exposureFocus and exposure control

Once you turn on focus and exposure control, in the Moto G 2015 camera interface,  you will see a yellow focus dial.

You can set the camera to focus on the object you tap in the screen. Turn the focus dial to adjust the exposure level.

moto_g_2015_camera_guide_5_slow_motion_videoSlow motion video

Moto G 2015 camera now can take slow motion videos in 720p.

moto_g_2015_camera_guide_6_panorama Panorama

Panorama mode allows you to take wide-angle photos with Moto G 2015 camera.

Once enabled, you need follow the on-screen guide to slowly pan while you are taking the photo.

moto_g_2015_camera_guide_7_timerTimer

You can set a timer for Moto G 2015 camera so that photos can be taken automatically after timer times out without tapping the screen.

You can set the timer as 3 seconds or 10 seconds. The default setting is Off.

moto_g_2015_camera_guide_8_location_tag Location tag

Once enabled, you can add GPS info into the photo taken with Moto G 2015 camera.

Of course, you can remove tags later on before sharing them.

The default setting is Off.

moto_g_2015_camera_guide_9_memory_cardSave photos to Micro SD card

If Micro SD card is detected, Moto G 2015 will save all photos to SD card, instead of the phone memory.

But if you want to save photos to internal storage, you can turn off this option.

moto_g_2015_camera_guide_10_wide_screenAdjust photo aspect ratio

Moto G 2015 camera app does not offer the option to set photo resolution. Photos are always taken in full resolution.

This means for rear camera, it is 13MP (4:3) and 5MP for the front camera.  But you can choose the aspect ratio between 4:3 (good for printing or old monitors) and 16:9 (good for TV).

moto_g_2015_camera_guide_11_shutter_soundShutter sound

You can turn on/off Moto G 2015 camera shutter sound. This camera shutter sound setting is removed in Android Marshmallow update for Moto G 2015.

moto_g_2015_camera_guide_12_quick_captureQuick launch

Enable/disable Moto G 2015 camera quick launch.

Once enabled, you can wist your wrist twice to turn camera on. Twist twice again to switch to front camera.

How to use Moto G 2015 camera burst mode?

Moto G 2015 camera also supports burst mode. You can take many photos continuously.

To use Moto G 2015 camera burst mode, you just tap and hold the screen in camera interface.

Can you use Moto G 2015 camera now? Can you adjust Moto G 2015 camera settings now?

If you have problems or questions on how to use the camera on Moto G 2015, please let us know them in the comment box below.

The community will try to hep you.

For more Moto G online manual pages, please check this page.

For detailed step-by-step guides, please check Moto G How-to guides page.

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Comments

  1. Is there some sort of setting for video length? I was trying to record a video and it cut off at 6 minutes saying that it had reached some sort of limit. I’m not very smartphone literate (obviously) so I’m not sure if it ran out of space or what. Anybody have any ideas?

    Reply

  5. The video is lagging a bit. Whether i play something in youtube, insta or videos in my phone.the video lag behind audio. The audio will keep on playing but video will b playing 2-3 sec behind audio. Please help!!!!!

    Reply

  6. My Moto G has gone from Hero to a version of Zero overnight, I can’t update because it says no space, no option to move camera storage as no option in camera menu, all apps that can be moved to SD card have been, now can’t do very much above the basic stuff. Cache cleared, camera data cleared, rebooted 2x. No new apps installed. Help please!

    Reply

  7. Since I upgraded to Marshmallow on my Motorola Moto G 3rd Generation, the camera is no longer instant, now it takes 5 to 8 seconds. to take a picture, just to start recording a video and a little more in storage. I have already changed SD and nothing, please help me.

    Reply

  9. I have noticed with the MotoG3 that when you take a STD pic it can be as high a 3 or 4 MB – and a video not even of any great size can be over 300MB – SD card and internal memory are used up very quickly and the transferring of pics to F/Book and others is nearly impossible for videos – can the resolution be turned down so that more pics can be kept?

    Reply

  10. How do you get Google camera? not on Play and any other sites say it won’t work on the MG3. What is the best photo app?

    Reply

  11. On my Moto G3, when I set the timer to 10 seconds it often takes the picture before 10 seconds expire, even though it counts down to 0 and seemingly takes the photo then. It doesn’t happen every time but I have reproduced the behavior several times. Also, the second beeps sometimes stop half way through the countdown, and then come back for the last few seconds.

    Reply

  13. Is there any way to disable ‘burst mode’? Having triggered it by mistake several times I find it extremely annoying

    Reply

  14. Hi, is there any way to take a picture WHILE recording video?
    Also, i have trouble with zooming. sometimes it works and other times it just does photo bursts or moves around the focus feature. i would appreciate any advice, thanks!

    Reply

  15. I’m trying to set my Moto G 2nd Gen phone camera to print the date, like it’s done for digital cameras, but I see no feature in the settings that allows this. Is that possible

    Reply

  18. My moto g is not able to focus photos properly. Like if we take pic of object that is 15-20 cm away from camera. The pic is blurry. Even if i manually try to focus . It is not able to focus properly( results in blurry pic). What is the problem?

    Reply

  19. I have Marshmallow in Moto G3. In the settings I find Focus and Exposure Control is missing. While taking a snap I cannot zoom in or out. Can anybody help me out?

    Reply

  20. Well! Actually i don’t want to have a camera option on my lock screen..because of a nasty kid at my place he clicks so many pictures because of dat option..hence, I want to remove dat camera from my lock screen so plz help me out…..

    Reply

  21. I am not able to download google camera in moto g3. Can’t find it in play store and apk file downloaded from net is not opening. What should I do to download it? Is it not possible to download it in moto g3?

    Reply

  22. I am looking to disable the volume key from causing the camera to take pictures. Any thoughts or ideas. Thanks in advance.

    Reply

  23. i have tried since from dec.to turn shutter sound off but the company is not in a position to get software why they introduced marshmallow is it a good co.

    Reply

  27. i have insert sd card in moto g3 mobile but in camera storage location option is not display and as well as sound option is also not display.please suggest.

    Reply

  30. Adjusting ringer volume doesn’t work. Nor does deleting data of camera and then adjusting it. This is a nuisance. And Motorola should fix it in its next update. It has been fixed for Motorola X2 2015. Just not in G3.

    Reply

  31. Motorola should disable camera shutter noise back in its next update. The noise is very annoying. And also unnecessary.

    Reply

  32. After Marshmallow update I am not able to switch off shutter sound of camera in Moto g3… can somebody knows how to do it ?

    Reply

  33. I accidentally made Google photos as my default camera photo viewing instead of Gallery. It opens in Photos instead Gallery on swiping. Can you tell me how to change the back to default Gallery option?

    Reply

  35. Earlier, I could see the play music bar even on my lock screen. Recently, it has stopped showing both on the lock screen and notification bar.

    Reply

  39. Hi all when I’m launching my camera I’m not able to see camera icon to switch from front to rear camera can anyoneplease help me out in solving this…

    Reply

  40. S I updated all apps from play store including camera also but shutter sound option only not coming after rotating setting ring in camera app

    Reply

  41. Sir i updated moto g3 marshmallow but camera sound coming in silent mode also and camera shutter sound settings not coming after rotating setting ring in camera app please inform me sir.

    Reply

  42. I m not getting any option to change shutter sound.. Rather volume button sign is not there in camera settings .

    Reply

  45. my camera quality(G3) is very low compare to other camera(G2). there is ni sticker in camera. i was tried other camera apps. pls give me solution.

    Reply

  46. my moto g3 turns on the torch when I flick left/right and doesn`t open the phone. also when I press the volume down button it takes multple pictures instead of zooming.
    comments please

    Reply

  47. My camera is OK on the rear camera setting, but when I try to use the front camera I only get a white screen. Hardware problem? Anyone else experienced this?

    Reply

  49. Moto g3 has more of a yellowish tone in d pics clicked from d default camera app. While moto g2 hasn’t. the colors of objects are more close to real in moto g2. Is there any way to fix d yellow tone in g3?

    Reply

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