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.

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.

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