Google Camera disables wide-angle Astrophotography mode in Pixel 5, 4a 5G

Google Camera is undeniably the best photography app out there in the industry and if you own a Pixel, the user-experience goes another notch up. One such feature that makes Pixel owners feel privileged is the Astrophotography mode. It takes spectacular photos of the night sky with distant stars and galaxies get captured with more clarity compared to the other brands.

Now, the latest Google Camera v8.1, which was released in mid-November has disabled a wide-angle Astrography mode from Pixel 5 and 4a 5G phones. The company has not released any statement on why it removed the feature. 

However, in the Google Camera support page, it has revealed that the Astrography mode will work on Zoom greater than 1X.

"On Pixel 4a (5G) and Pixel 5, astrophotography only works on zoom settings equal to or greater than 1x," reads the new note mentioned on the Google camera website.

Already Apple iPhone 12 series and the predecessor 11 series have taken the lead in mobile camera photography from Google Pixel 3 and this is a wasted opportunity, as Pixel 5 and 4a 5G have 12.2MP Wide-angle and 16MP ultra-wide angle lens, which offer a 107-degree field of view. This promises a wider view of the scene and gets stunning night sky in all its glory. 

Hope a better sense prevails and Google brings back the wide-angle astrophotography in the Pixel 5 and 4a 5G with more advanced features to enhance the low-light imaging experience.

Here's how to take low-light photos on Pixel phones:

If you are a tech-savvy user, then you can uninstall the latest Google Camera (8.1) and go back to v7.6 and get the wide-angle Astro mode.

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