Huawei P40 anti-photobombing feature highlighted in Father’s Day ad

Golden Snap feature on the Huawei P40 removes unwanted intruders from photos, but there are limitations

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That’s one awkward picture. (Picture: Huawei via Weibo)

Karen Chiu

Published: 4:46pm, 22 Jun 2020Updated: 4:46pm, 22 Jun 2020

Ever thought you’d taken the perfect picture, only to see a random photobomber in the shot? Huawei says it can help.

Huawei’s Father’s Day ad this year features a jealous dad at a college graduation ceremony. When his daughter’s boyfriend unwittingly photobombs the family shot, Huawei comes to the rescue: Dad brings up Golden Snap on his P40 smartphone, a feature in the built-in camera app that automatically erases intruders from a photo. The annoying boyfriend vanishes, and dad is happy again.

So how does Golden Snap work? It records multiple frames, choosing the best parts to combine into one perfect shot that has the main subjects in the right spot -- and no unwanted intruders.

P40 owners in China who tested the function say it works… but there are limitations that can produce spooky results. One person demonstrated that you can indeed remove a photobomber, but not their reflection in a puddle. Another user posted a photo that erased a passerby… but not their umbrella, leaving it floating in the air.

Look closely and you can see a floating umbrella to the right of the masked person. (Picture: Zhihu)

Huawei is the biggest smartphone seller in China, holding more than 40% of the market last quarter, according to IDC. It means Huawei remains in second place globally, even though it’s not allowed to use Google apps and services in new handsets, like Gmail, YouTube or the Google Play Store.