Google releases major updates for its Pixel hardware every quarter and this June Google Pixel users are expected to receive amazing new features. These features will be available to users by updating apps like Cameras, Photos, etc via Google Play Store. Google has estimated that it would take two weeks to roll out the updates on all Pixel devices from Pixel 3, which will also receive some updates.
- Astrophotography mode feature will be introduced
- Locked Folder feature will help secure Photos & Videos, only to be opened by a passcode or biometrics.
- Pixel Voice features will receive updates that will add more languages and dialects.
- Car crash detection features will be rolled out to Spain, Ireland, and Spain.
- Google Assistant can answer and reject calls in hands-free mode.
The latest Google Camera Update, 8.2.400, has already been released and includes the Astrophotography video feature that allows users to capture videos of stars moving across the sky in a Night Sight Time Lapse Mode. Once updated, this feature can be enabled by tapping on the Google Camera Settings > Advanced > Enable time-lapse for astrophotography.
The Astrophotography feature requires your device to be stationery which means you will have to place it over a tripod. Tap on the Camera app and slide to open the Night Sight option followed by a tap on the Shutter Button. The device will start recording images of the night sky and after the user taps on the shutter button again to end the recording, this feature will produce an amazing image as the final output which will have a starry animated background.
The second important feature that will be rolled out this June is the Private Folder in the Google Photos Apps which I believe is a feature that has been rolled out by third-party apps eons ago. Google will include a secret folder in its Photos app that can be opened only by a passcode or biometrics. This will allow Pixel users to keep certain photos and videos locked away from prying eyes and nosy people. This folder also has access to the Camera app which means any photo clicked via this folder will directly be saved in the Secret Folder. All images are saved locally on the device only and will never appear on any memories or other apps on the device.
Moving forward to the next update, we have the car crash detection feature that alerts emergency services automatically when a car crash is detected. This is a module in the personal safety app of Google Pixel and was rolled out previously in three countries, namely the US, UK & Australia. With this new update, it will be rolled out to users in Ireland, Spain, and Singapore.
Google Pixel updates also include Google Recorder to recognize more dialects, including Singaporean, Irish, Australian, and British English.
Also with the Google Assistant updates, users can now use it to accept or reject calls.
The following models will receive the June 2021 Pixel Feature Drop Update, and certain features might not be available on all Pixel hardware platforms.
Pixel 3 |
Pixel 3a | Pixel 4 | Pixel 4a | Pixel 4a (5g) |
Pixel 5 |
|
Astrophotography |
Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
Heads Up |
Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Locked Folder |
Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Car Crash Detection |
Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
Call Screen (v1) |
Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Recorder |
Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Pride Wallpapers |
Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Gboard |
Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Call Action on Google Assistant |
Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Finally, readers must remember that all these features are not Android updates but will only be added to Google Pixel Smartphone