What you need to know
- Google is rolling out Pixel Camera version 9.5.118, which brings manual Astrophotography activation to users.
- After updating, users can find the mode in Night Sight’s duration slider without waiting for their device to produce it automatically.
- The company also started rolling out “Zoom Enhance” to the Pixel 8 Pro last week alongside details of its availability on the Pixel 9 series.
Google is starting to roll out a Pixel Camera update that gives users reliable control over a unique nighttime setting.
As Google News (Telegram) spotted, the company is pushing a Pixel Camera update marked as version 9.5.118 for manual Astrophotography (via Android Police). The feature has previously played off the Pixel’s “Night Sight” camera mode, which is where Google has placed its manual control.
The post suggests that users should notice a pop-up in the Pixel Camera app when switching to Night Sight after updating. The company has included a new crescent moon icon to represent Astrophotography within Night Sight’s duration slider.
Tapping the shutter button will produce a five-second timer and it’s encouraged that users remain still to capture the best quality photo. However, the post adds that users can turn this timer off if they’re already stable and want to take pictures without delay.
The publication states that capturing and processing Astrophotography mode content may take longer “depending on your Pixel’s age.” So, it’s likely that the newly announced Pixel 9 series has the quickest draw.
Google has started rolling this update out to Pixel devices, but it doesn’t seem widespread yet. More devices should see it as the week progresses. For the daring, the publication states you can manually sideload the update through APKMirror.
Astrophotography mode has been a good way for interested parties to capture low-light or night shots, though its preference for the “perfect scenario” could hitch you up. It’s always been activated through Night Sight; however, users were previously required to keep their devices still. The mode was automatic, meaning users (ideally) needed a tripod to meet the feature’s demands and let it activate.
Moreover, users can hop into the camera app > Go to Night Sight > Settings to tinker with those shutter timer settings. Google’s advanced settings for the mode include resolution sizes, a time-lapse option, and if you’d like to shoot in JPEG or RAW.
Elsewhere, Google started rolling out “Zoom Enhance” for the Pixel 8 Pro with details about the feature’s release on the Pixel 9. The feature leverages its AI software to “intelligently” fill in those gaps and faults when zooming into a photo to keep its high quality. This was a feature Google teased in 2023 and it seems its longer-than-expected development holds a slight drawback.
