Google regularly releases what it calls Feature Drop updates for Pixel smartphones. These updates add new features to Pixel phones and are separate from the major Android OS upgrades that come out every 12 or so months.
Samsung doesn't have anything resembling these Feature Drop updates, but that's not exactly a bad thing as many new features that Google and other manufacturers release for their phones are often already present on Galaxy devices. And this month, users with a Pixel 6 or newer Pixel phone are getting another feature that Samsung fans have enjoyed for years.
This feature is the show palm gesture that enables you to take timed selfies by simply holding up your palm in front of the camera. It's been available on Samsung Galaxy smartphones since the early 2010s and makes capturing selfies extremely convenient, though the default timer can be a little short and barely lets you move your hand out of the way before the picture is taken.
But that's a minor quibble, and for most intents and purposes, the gesture works very well. And we're guessing Google decided to bring the feature to Pixel phones now because it will soon be launching its first foldable. Like Samsung foldables, the Pixel Fold can be unfolded and kept open at various angles, which is very useful for taking hands-free selfies without a tripod and works great in tandem with the show palm gesture.
Try the show palm gesture on your Galaxy phone if you haven't already
To enable the show palm gesture on your Samsung Galaxy phone (if you haven't already done it), open the Camera app, go into camera settings, scroll down and tap Shooting methods, and then use the toggle next to the Show palm option. Once you do that, holding your hand up with the palm facing the camera will make the phone capture a selfie after a short timer.
If the default timer isn't enough, you can change the duration of the timer by tapping the clock icon in the camera viewfinder. However, keep in mind that if you manually set the timer duration, the timer will be applied to all shooting modes and not just when using the show palm gesture, so be sure to keep it disabled when you're not taking selfies.
