The latest update to the Google Camera Pixel series app, version 8.2, has started to roll out, bringing an enhanced experience for recording videos with a long press of the shutter button.
Much of the photographic skill of the Google Pixel series is due to the fantastic Google Camera app, with its variety of modes, AI enhancements and tools. Because of this, when Google Camera receives an update, Pixel owners take notice, hoping for new features.
At the end of this evening, the Google Play Store started launching version 8.2 of the Camera app, a slight leap from the previous 8.1 version, for Pixel owners. So far, we’ve only confirmed that the update has arrived on a Pixel 5, but owners of Pixel 4a 5G, Pixel 4a and others shouldn’t have to wait long.
The biggest change we’ve discovered in Google Camera 8.2 is a major overhaul of video recording by pressing and holding the shutter button. In previous versions, this long press simply initiated a video recording, but with the latest update, you can now slide your finger in one direction to control the zoom or slide in a different way to “lock” the recording. After locking the recording, you can release your finger and the video will continue to record until you press stop.
Here is a quick demo of the new Google 8.2 Camera feature in action:
As you can see, the feature can be a little tricky to use, especially on the Pixel 5 and Pixel 4a 5G, which can switch between normal and wide-angle cameras when zooming in and out. That said, if your goal is to start recording as quickly as possible, this long-press gesture and the newly added zoom and lock gestures are definitely the way to go.
Notably, the launch of the Google 8.2 Camera comes less than a week after Pixel phones received the March quarterly “Drop in Features” report, which was marked by underwater photography features and an update to the Pixel Stand. Given the closing time, it seems strange that this long-pressed video recording enhancement was not included as part of the March pixel feature drop.
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