The latest Pixel Feature Drop is packed with tons of new features, including time-lapse astrophotography, a Locked Folder for Google Photos, and many more. While the June update has already rolled out for Pixel phones, many of the announced features were missing from the new software. It turns out some of them will be delivered through standalone app updates. The latest Google Camera update brings one of the new features announced by Google: time-lapse astrophotography.
Google Camera 8.2.400 rolling out with time-lapse astrophotography support
Google Camera 8.2.400 is now rolling out on the Play Store. After installing the latest version, you will see a new “Enable time lapse for astrophotography” option under Advanced settings (Settings >> Advanced). Turning it on will allow you to capture time-lapse videos on astrophotography mode, along with a still image, of course. The description warns that such shots will take up more storage on your phone.
“Export photo and time lapse. Uses more storage space,” the description reads. Moreover, Google also advises you to “wait at least 2.5 minutes to capture a time lapse in addition to a photo” in astrophotography mode (via). This tip is shown in the astrophotography section in the Night Sight mode settings.
Once you have captured a shot, you can tap the preview gallery button in the bottom-right corner to see it. The still image is shown first, followed by the time-lapse video. Note that time-lapse astrophotography is only available on Pixel 4 or later.
The Locked Folder feature is not live yet
An APK teardown of the latest version of the Pixel Tips app last week had revealed two upcoming camera-related features: time-lapse astrophotography and a Locked Folder for Google Photos. Google announced both features as part of the latest Pixel Feature Drop earlier this week. However, while the former is now rolling out with the latest update for Google Camera, the Locked Folder feature is not live yet.
This option will be available in the top-right corner of the camera viewfinder. It will let you choose where to save content: the unlocked photo gallery or the Locked Folder in Google Photos. A separate update for the Google Photos app will likely enable this feature on Google Camera.
Nonetheless, if you were looking forward to capturing time-lapse videos on astrophotography mode in your Pixel, you can now do that. Go check for an update for the Google Camera app on the Play Store. The latest update is still not widely available, so you might need to wait a couple more days. Look forward to receiving other promised features of the latest Pixel Feature Drop in the coming days. Google says it may take up to two weeks for all the features to be fully available.