Google introduced an astrophotography mode for the Pixel 4 series in late 2019, which is also available for earlier Pixels. The mode allows users to take astrophotography shots, combining 16 15-second images to create the final, star-filled result.
Now, 9to5Google has dug its way into the latest version of the Pixel Tips app (3.4.0.373287606) and discovered evidence of an “Astrotimelapse” function. There is no further information on what exactly this might be, but we do have an idea of what to expect.
We assume that Google is working on the ability to capture time-lapse video of the night sky, using a principle similar to that of astrophotography mode, but spitting out a video instead of an image. However, it wouldn’t be the first Android manufacturer to offer this feature.
Realme introduced a Starry Timelapse feature on the Realme 8 Pro earlier this year that took 15 16-second exposures to create a frame of video. The manufacturer said at the time that in this mode you had to record eight minutes to get a second of video. Check out some examples of Realme 8 Pro below.
We are therefore expecting a similar feature on the Google Pixel range, but hopefully we will see shorter capture times for the end result. In any case, 9to5Google says the Astrotimelapse feature seems to be checking that you’re running version 8.2.3 of the Google Camera app. The latest version is 8.2.2, which suggests that a new update might be around the corner.