When your phone is steady, you can take photos in low light or of the night sky without the flash.
Take photos in low light or at night | Pixel
Take photos in low light
- Open your Google Camera app
. Learn how.
- Tap Night Sight
Capture
.
- Hold still for a few seconds while your phone captures the photo.
Tip (Pixel 5 and Pixel 4a (5G) only): When your camera is in Default or Portrait mode and you take a photo in low-light conditions, Night Sight turns on automatically. To take your photo with Night Sight, tap Capture . To turn off Night Sight, tap Auto Night Sight
. Auto Night Sight won't work if you have your flash on.
Take photos of the night sky
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:
- Go to a dark area.
- Open your Google Camera app
. Learn how.
- Tap Night Sight.
- Prop your phone on a steady surface, like a rock or tripod. Don’t use your hand.
- Wait a few seconds. When your phone is still and ready, it shows a message that says “Astrophotography on.”
- Tap Capture
.
- Do not touch your phone until it’s done taking the photo. Your phone will show a countdown timer.
- (Optional) To stop taking a photo, tap Stop
.
Improve your night sky photos
To get the best possible night sky photos, you can prepare for outdoor photography and adjust your phone’s settings.
Prepare for outdoor photography- 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
.
- 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:
- With your Camera app open, tap Night Sight.
- Tap the Down arrow
.
- Next to “Focus,” tap Far
.
Adjust brightness or shadows (Pixel 4 & later)
- 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
.