Quickly view original photo while editing on Android 4.2

A new feature in Android 4.2 allows you to quickly view the original photo while you edit it in the Gallery app. Here's how.

Have you ever begun to edit a photo and before you know it -- three filters, a border, and a crop later -- you've lost track of where you started? Going back to view the original photo is an option, but then you risk saving the current edit, or losing it altogether and having to start all over.

A post on Droid Life reveals a new feature in Android 4.2 that allows you to view the original photo during the edit process. It's simple to use in order to compare an original photo to the freshly edited version, making it easy to see if you're on the right track or causing more harm than good.

While editing a photo in the Gallery app you'll see the edit options along the bottom, and a preview of the edited photo at the top. At any time during the edit process, you can place your finger anywhere on the image and slide down, or to the right to reveal the original photo -- as if you're peeling back the filters, adjustments, and special effects.

Lifting your finger reverts back to the edited version, where you can then make any changes or exit and save your creation.

Do you have Android 4.2 running on your device? If so, what's one new feature you absolutely can't live without? Let us know in the comments below.