Take photos in low light or at night on your Pixel phone

1. Open your Google Camera app . Learn how.
2. Tap Night Sight  Capture .
3. Hold still for a few seconds while your phone captures the photo.

For Pixel 3 and later, you can take photos of the night sky. To do so, travel away from city lights. For best results:

• Use a Pixel 4 or later.
• For photos of the stars, take photos at least 45 - 90 minutes after sunset.

Important: On Pixel 4a (5G) and Pixel 5, astrophotography only works on zoom settings equal to or greater than 1x.

To take a photo:

1. Go to a dark area.
2. Open your Google Camera app . Learn how.
3. Tap Night Sight.
4. Prop your phone on a steady surface, like a rock or tripod. Don’t use your hand.
5. Wait a few seconds. When your phone is still and ready, it shows a message that says “Astrophotography on.”
6. Tap Capture .
7. Do not touch your phone until it’s done taking the photo. Your phone will show a countdown timer.
8. (Optional) To stop taking a photo, tap Stop .

• 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 phone against a steady surface, or use a tripod. Don’t touch your phone or prop it with your hand.
• If it’s windy, move your phone closer to the ground or shield your phone from the wind. Your phone works best when it’s still.
  • Tip: To help your phone stay steady, set the self timer to 3 seconds. Your phone takes a photo 3 seconds after you tap Capture .

• 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:
  1. With your Camera app open, tap Night Sight.
  2. Tap the Down arrow .
  3. Next to “Focus,” tap Far .

• Adjust brightness: On the right, adjust the slider to lower or raise Brightness .
• Adjust shadows: On the right, adjust the slider to lower or raise Shadows .