Perhaps one of the most popular photography tricks, time lapse, is already available on most phones, but Google's Pixel phones oddly don't support the simple feature. That changes now.
Google has announced that Time Lapse mode is now available on all Pixel phones — yes, all Pixel phones, including the first ones. Accessed through the stock Google Camera app, Time Lapse will let Pixel users put their phone down for a certain amount of time, let it capture photos in intervals, and render it as a sped-up version, which makes for a neat trick. Time-lapse videos are everywhere these days, and beyond looking incredibly cool, they can also illustrate the passage of time.
How To Use Time Lapse Mode On Your Google Pixel
To start making time lapse footage, open the Google Camera app and go to the "More" section. There, tap the "Time Lapse" option that's next to "Slow Motion" and is denoted by a fast-forward icon.
The Time Lapse interface is pretty straightforward. There's a simple camera viewfinder although it's a bit different from the normal interface. In portrait, there's a top-right thermometer icon that allow the user to change the color temperature. In addition, there's a lock icon that lets them lock or unlock the exposure and autofocus for keeping shots always well-composed. There's a slider-sun icon that lets the user override the exposure settings, and a magnifying glass on the bottom right for zooming in and out.
Understanding The Time Limit
Time Lapse will only put out 10-second videos each time, although the user has the freedom to set how long the camera will keep recording. 1x is 10 seconds, 5x is 50 seconds, and there's a 120x option that will record for a whopping 20 minutes. 10x and 30x are available as well.
When the user is done recording, they can then tap the bottom-right icon to watch the resulting footage. Alternatively, they can hit the record button again to keep making more time lapse videos.
To be clear, Pixel owners weren't exactly left out of the time-lapse crowd — only, they had to resort to third-party camera apps with the option. Even still, it's a welcome addition to the stock Google Camera software, which pales in comparison to the iPhone and some Android manufacturers, as The Verge notes.
Will you try the new Time Lapse mode on your Google Pixel device? Tell us in the comments section below!
