Google’s Pixel Camera has a killer new feature for streamers

By Georgina Torbet Published March 6, 2025

A person holding the Google Pixel 8, showing the camera. — Google Pixel 8 Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

New abilities are coming to Google Pixel phones as part of the March 2025 features updates, with the latest version of Pixel Camera beginning its rollout. Users can look forward to an updated astrophotography mode, and those with newer devices have access to a remote camera capability as well.

Pixel Camera 9.0 has begun its rollout, according to 9to5Google, though it might be a while before you see the update on your device as these feature rollouts typically take some time to reach all users. The popular astrophotography mode which allows users to take photos of the night sky, including views that would normally require specialist camera gear to capture, is getting a facelift with an animation mode during capture. This option is enabled by default but can be toggled in the Settings > Advanced screen.

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There also an explanation added to the Palm timer mode, which lets you wave your hand in front of the camera to start a timer — and which works with both front and rear cameras.

The big update, though, is for users of the Pixel 9 series, who now have access to the Connected Cameras feature. This allows you to link up to other devices or another Pixel and to capture images or livestream using these devices. It works with GoPro 10s and later, for example, so you can link your GoPro to your Pixel and switch between the two as you record.

That will make this feature invaluable for streamers or content creators who want to get the most out of their devices and use them in a multi-camera setup — though you can currently only connect to one additional device at a time.

To use this feature, go to Settings and then to Connected devices > Connected preferences > Connected cameras. You can turn the feature on or off, and use the Camera Picker feature to connect to another device and switch to it. The currently supported devices are Pixel 6 and later and GoPro 10 and later, updated with the latest software.

You can optionally apply filters or effects on footage from the connected device, and you can stream directly to Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, or TikTok.

Georgina Torbet

Former Space Writer

Georgina has been the space writer at Digital Trends space writer for six years, covering human space exploration, planetary…

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