Google Camera 8.1 Update Disables Astrophotography for Ultrawide Lens on Pixel 5, Pixel 4A 5G: Report

A Google support page was updated to say that astrophotography only works on zoom settings equal to, or greater than, 1x on Pixel 5 and Pixel 4A 5G.

By Tanishka Sodhi | Updated: 28 December 2020 13:09 IST

Google Camera 8.1 Update Disables Astrophotography for Ultrawide Lens on Pixel 5, Pixel 4A 5G: Report

Pixel 5, 4A 5G users can reportedly revert to version 7.6 to use ultrawide lens for astrophotography

Highlights

Google Camera 8.1 disabled astrophotography for Pixel 5, 4A 5G
Astrophotography only works on zoom settings equal to or greater than 1x
The ‘.6x’ option reportedly disappears and cannot be reselected

Google Pixel 5 and Google Pixel 4A 5G smartphones cannot use ultrawide lens for astrophotography shots any more, following the Google Camera 8.1 update, as per a report. Google Camera 8.1 had rolled out early last month, removing the ability to use the ultrawide lens for astrophotography. A Google support page was updated to say that astrophotography only works on zoom settings equal to, or greater than, 1x on Google Pixel 5 and Pixel 4A 5G.

Users on Reddit said that the ultrawide lens worked properly for astrophotography shots on their Pixel phones earlier, but wasn't functioning anymore. As per a report by 9to5Google, the ultrawide lens is available in regular Night Sight shots but not for capturing in complete darkness.

Earlier, Google Pixel 5 and Google Pixel 4A 5G users could zoom in beforehand, and also switch to the ultrawide lens by clicking on ‘.6x' or by pinching out, states the report. Now, a message tells Google Pixel 5 and Pixel 4A 5G users to ‘Zoom to 1x for astrophotography' before entering the mode.

Google Photos for Pixel Devices Gets New HDR and Dynamic Filters

The ‘.6x' option disappears and cannot be reselected, the report adds.

A Google support page, that includes tips and instructions on how to click astrophotography shots, was updated last month to say that “On Pixel 4a (5G) and Pixel 5, astrophotography only works on zoom settings equal to or greater than 1x.”

Google hasn't mentioned why the ability to use ultrawide lens for astrophotography was removed. It could be because of the overall quality, or, as a Reddit user suggested, because of green-tinted astrophotography shots that appeared for some users.

Google Pixel 5 Goes Though JerryRigEverything’s Durability Test

To use ultrawide lens for astrophotography shots for Google Pixel 5 and Pixel 4A 5G, the report says that users can uninstall updates to Google Camera and revert to version 7.6 from the App Info screen.

Will iPhone 12 mini become the affordable iPhone we've been waiting for? We discussed this on Orbital, our weekly technology podcast, which you can subscribe to via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or RSS, download the episode, or just hit the play button below.

Affiliate links may be automatically generated - see our ethics statement for details.

Google Pixel 5

KEY SPECS
NEWS

Display 6.00-inch

Processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G

Front Camera 8-megapixel

Rear Camera 12.2-megapixel + 16-megapixel

RAM 8GB

Storage 128GB

Battery Capacity 4080mAh

OS Android 11

Resolution 1080x2340 pixels

More Google mobiles Google mobiles price in India

Google Pixel 4a 5G

KEY SPECS
NEWS

Display 6.20-inch

Processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G

Front Camera 8-megapixel

Rear Camera 12.2-megapixel + 16-megapixel

RAM 6GB

Storage 128GB

Battery Capacity 3885mAh

OS Android 11

Resolution 1080x2340 pixels

More Google mobiles Google mobiles price in India

Comments

For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who'sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube.