Take photos in low light or at night on your Pixel phone or tablet
When your device is steady, you can take photos in low light or of the night sky without the flash. Learn how to open your Camera app on your Pixel phone.
- Open your Camera app 👁 Google Camera
. - In the Photo mode carousel, tap Night Sight.
- Tap Shutter 👁 Image
. - Hold still for a few seconds while your device captures the photo.
Tip: To capture time lapse videos in the dark with Night Sight, learn how to record a video with Night Sight.
To turn off Automatic Night Sight in Photo mode:
Tips:
- When you take a photo in low-light conditions and the Photo mode or Portrait mode is on, Night Sight automatically turns on.
- When the camera flash is on, the Automatic Night Sight doesn’t work.
- Open the Camera app 👁 Image
. - At the bottom left, tap Settings 👁 Image
👁 and then
More light. - Turn off More light.
On your Pixel device, you can take photos of the night sky. To do so, travel away from city lights. For photos of the stars, take photos at least 45 - 90 minutes after sunset.
Important: On Pixel 4a (5G) and later, astrophotography only works on zoom settings equal to or greater than 1x.
To take an Astrophotography photo with a stand or tripod:
- Go to a dark area.
- Open your Camera app 👁 Google Camera
. - Tap Night Sight.
- Point your phone at the sky and set it down in a steady place, like a stand or tripod. Do not use your hands.
- When your device is still and ready, the shutter automatically changes to Astrophotography mode 👁 Image
. - Tap Shutter.
- Your phone shows a countdown timer. Keep the phone still until the photo is complete.
- To stop taking a photo, tap Stop 👁 Stop
.
To take an Astrophotography photo manually without a tripod:
- Open your Camera app 👁 Google Camera
. - Tap Night Sight.
- Tap the controls icon in the bottom right corner.
- Swipe the Night Sight control slider to Astro. The shutter will change to Astrophotography mode.
- Tap Shutter.
- Your phone will start a 5 second timer, which allows you to place your phone down on a steady surface facing the sky.
- An audio cue will let you know when the shutter is complete.
To turn off auto time lapse:
- Open the Camera app 👁 Google Camera
. - At the bottom left, tap Settings 👁 Image
👁 and then
More Settings 👁 and then
Advanced 👁 Image
. - Turn off Enable timelapse for astrophotography.
To get the best possible night sky photos, you can prepare for outdoor photography and adjust your device's settings.
- Plan ahead to know when and where you can find stars and constellations. For help, download a star chart app.
- Check the weather forecast. If the sky is cloudy, it’s harder to find the moon or stars.
- Travel away from city lights and other artificial lights. Light pollution makes stars less visible. For help, find a light pollution map of your area.
- Prop the device against a steady surface, or use a tripod. Don’t touch your device or prop it with your hand.
- If it’s windy, move your device closer to the ground or shield your device from the wind. Your device works best when it’s still.
Tip: To help your device stay steady, set the self timer to 3 seconds. Your device takes a photo 3 seconds after you tap Shutter 👁 Image
.
- Reduce your screen’s brightness. When your screen is darker, it can help your eyes adjust to the darkness around you. Learn how to change your display settings.
- Turn on Dark theme. Learn how to change your display settings.
- Set the focus to “far.” Changing this setting makes your camera focus on anything more than 4 meters (13 feet) away, like the night sky. To change focus:
- With your Camera app 👁 Google Camera
. - In the Photo mode carousel, tap Night Sight.
- At the bottom left, tap Settings 👁 Image
. - Next to “Focus,” tap Far 👁 Image
.
- With your Camera app 👁 Google Camera
Adjust brightness or shadows
For Pixel 4 and earlier:
To adjust brightness, shadows, and temperature of the color hue, tap and hold your screen.
- Adjust brightness: On the right, adjust the slider to lower or raise Brightness 👁 Image
. - Adjust shadows: On the right, adjust the slider to lower or raise Shadows 👁 Image
.
For Pixel 4a 5G and later:
To adjust brightness, shadows, and temperature of the color hue, at the bottom right, tap Edit 👁 Image
👁 and then
Adjust.