How To: Hack the Front-Facing Camera on Your Nexus 7 to Record 720p HD Video

Hack the Front-Facing Camera on Your Nexus 7 to Record 720p HD Video

You've probably already figured out that your Nexus 7 doesn't have a rear camera, but that doesn't mean you can't do some awesome things with your tablet's front camera!

Sure, the front-facing camera is only 1.2MP, but that doesn't mean it sucks. In fact, there's a cool mod for the camera that lets you capture 720p HD video, and unlocking this cool feature is as easy as flashing a .zip file with your custom recovery.

Image via trustedreviews.com

If you don't already have a rooted Nexus 7 with a custom recovery installed, head on over to my definitive guide to softmodding your Nexus 7. You'll see how to root and install TWRP onto your tablet (though, you could also choose CWM for your recovery if you wanted).

And for this particular mod, you'll need to be running stock Android, too.

Download and Install the 720p Video Patch

On your Nexus 7, click here to download the camera mod .zip file. Once downloaded, power off your tablet, then press and hold both the power and volume down buttons to launch your custom recovery.

In your custom recovery (in this case, TWRP), tap on Install, browse to the .zip file you previously downloaded, and Swipe to Flash to install the patch.

Now, we'll have to install the stock Camera app next.

Install the Stock Camera App

If you haven't noticed, your Nexus 7 doesn't come with the familiar Android camera app by default, so you have to unlock it. Reboot your tablet and download Camera Launcher (free) from the Play Store.

Once it's installed, you'll see the camera icon in your apps. Let's take it for a spin.

Image via wonderhowto.com

Fire up the Camera app and switch it over to video recording mode.

Tap and drag anywhere in the video window and you'll see a new option to record in 720p!

Enjoy! Tell us is it worked for you!

N7 camera lens photo by trustedreviews

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9 Comments

I don't get the install. I press the power on and vol down together, the N7 boots into a choice of Start, Restart bootloader, Recovery mode, Power off. I click on Start and the N7 comes up as normal.

Does the /zip file or the contents need to placed in a certain directory ?

i have CWM but when i try to flash it comes up and says install aborted, does it need to be running the android version that came with it, does a custom ROM matter?

it says the "E:signiture verification failed" is the specific reason it was aborted

Its probably a bad download. Re-download the zip file and flash it. You need to be running stock 4.2.2, some custom roms already have this mod enabled.

You would choose Recovery for your custom recovery. Flash the zip with your custom recovery.

Hey thanks man, apparently it was just a bad download. Thanks! :)

Glad to hear!

i followed your instructions and used link to download zip and then switch off , then press and hold both power on and volume down buttons , but nothing appear, then i try to switch on , but its not switching on now. tell me what's happened and how to switch on my tab. Os Kitkak

Camera 4.2 crashed as soon as I launched it on my Nexus 7. So I deleted the app thinking I could easily reinstall it. But I can't find it in Google Play. How do I reinstall the camera app?

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