As far as the Pixel phones are concerned, Google refuses to stand pat on the camera side of things. To that end, the company is always finding new ways to improve the functionality and/or the resultant quality of the photos and videos produced by the devices.
Also: Google Pixel 8 vs. Google Pixel 8 Pro: Which model should you buy?
So, it should come as no surprise that, along with the December update, the Pixel 8 Pro has found itself the recipient of a boost in video quality by way of, you guessed it, Video Boost.
This new feature improves the quality of your videos with enhanced lighting, increased definition, and improved stabilization. When you enable Video Boost, three features automatically kick in for whatever you are filming:
- Night Sight
- HDR+
- Unblur
There’s one caveat to this new feature. Only videos that are backed up to Google Photos are capable of getting the Video Boost treatment. On top of that, you’ll see the un-boosted video immediately on your device, but the boosted version will “take a while” (according to Android). This is most likely because the boosting uses Google’s AI to work its magic…and that happens on the server side of things. When the boosted video is complete, you’ll receive a notification on your device.
Let me show you how to use the new Video Boost feature.
How to use Video Boost on the Pixel 8 Pro
What you’ll need: The new Video Boost feature is only available on Pixel 8 Pro phones. That’s all you need. Let’s see how it works.
The first step is to open the camera app on your Pixel 8 Pro and tap the video icon to switch it to video mode.
Tap the gear icon in the bottom left corner of the window to open the Camera app Settings pop-up.
Christmas time is here. Jack Wallen/ZDNET
You have to do this step every time you want to film something in Video Boost mode. The second option from the top is what you’re looking for. Tap the right camera icon (associated with Video Boost mode) to enable the feature. Once you’ve done that, tap out of the Settings pop-up to return to the Camera app.
There are a number of other settings you can enable in this page. Jack Wallen/ZDNET
At this point, you can start filming as you normally would. When you’ve finished filming, tap the stop button, and you’ll notice a Tap for status details notification. When you tap that, your phone will inform you that the Video Boost file will be available later, and you will be notified when it’s complete.
You’ve been alerted that you will be alerted. Jack Wallen/ZDNET
I did a few quick tests of Video Boost and found it to be exceptional. In low lighting, the results are truly amazing. The only drawback is that the rendering process is not instant, and does take some time. Do not watch your phone, assuming you’ll be notified within a minute or two. Remember, any clip that uses Video Boost has to be uploaded, processed, and downloaded to your phone. This all happens automatically, but it takes time and can be affected by networking speeds.
Also: How Google’s Gemini AI makes your Pixel 8 Pro faster and smarter
Video Boost is one of the better video updates Google has added to the Pixel phone family. If you have a Pixel 8 Pro, I highly recommend you give this new feature a try and thank me later when it blows your mind.
