What to know

  • Google’s Pixel camera app version 9.5.118 introduces manual control for Astrophotography mode.
  • Users can now enable Astrophotography mode through Night Sight’s quick settings.
  • The update allows selection of ‘Astro’ in Night Sight’s duration slider for extended exposures.

Google has released a new update for its Pixel camera app, version 9.5.118, bringing a much-requested feature to photography enthusiasts. The update now allows users to manually enable Astrophotography mode, giving them more control over their night sky photography.

Previously, Astrophotography mode would activate automatically when the phone detected low light conditions and was placed on a stable surface. With this update, users can now turn on the mode at will through the Night Sight feature’s quick settings.

To access this new functionality, Pixel users need to open the camera app and switch to Night Sight mode. In the quick settings, they can now select ‘Astro‘ in the duration slider (extreme right).

Switching to Astrophotography will enable a 5-second timer (which can be turned off) so that once you start capturing, you have enough time to put your Pixel on a surface and point starward.

First spotted on the Google News Telegram channel, the manual control offers more flexibility for users who want to experiment with astrophotography in various lighting conditions. It also addresses situations where the automatic detection might not engage the mode as desired.

The Astrophotography mode, first introduced with the Pixel 4, has been an automatic mode. The new manual control is expected to be particularly useful for photography enthusiasts who want more precise control over their shots. It also opens up possibilities for creative uses of the long-exposure capabilities in different scenarios.

The camera app update is rolling out gradually to Pixel devices. Users are advised to check the Google Play Store for the latest version of the Google Camera app to access this new feature.