The Pixel 8a has a playful ‘Snapshot’ widget and ‘Inside Out’ wallpapers

Besides being a mid-ranger, Google is positioning the Pixel 8a as a “great phone for families” and kids. One way the Pixel 8a does that is with a “Snapshot” homescreen widget.

Snapshot will let you “Quickly snap and frame your favorite people and daily moments in your life.” It’s skeuomorphic in that it imitates a picture taken by an instant camera complete with a piece of tape at the top that attaches it to your homescreen. The date even appears in the bottom-left corner.

Hit the camera icon to take a new picture that’s saved and backed up to your Google Photos library. You have the chance to review before setting it. Tapping the current image will open the Google Photos editor, while you can take a new snap at any time. 

It’s playful and something that would be nice to have on all Pixel phones in a future update. 

The Snapshot widget joins how the option to “Set up parental controls”/Family Link appears during the Pixel 8a’s onboarding process.

Meanwhile, our Pixel 8a has two default wallpapers that suggest an upcoming Inside Out 2 tie-in. The sequel to the beloved 2015 film hits theaters on June 14, which is exactly one month after the Pixel 8a launch.

• Inside Out: Headquarters — Mind World — “Headquarters is the control center in Riley’s mind where the Emotions live and work, guiding Riley throughout her day.”
• Inside Out: Friendship Island — Islands of Personality — “Riley’s Islands of Personality are powered by core memories, which are memories of extremely significant times in Riley’s life.”

• Google Store ($100 in Google Store credit. Ends 5/19)
• Google Fi ($499 back over 24 monthly bill credits)
• Amazon (with $100 gift card)
• Best Buy (with $100 gift card)