News
The Google Camera app might finally be getting this cool feature

- October 23, 2018
- Updated: July 2, 2025 at 5:50 AM

When all other smartphone makers were loading up their flagship handsets with multiple cameras, Google stuck with just one for their Pixel line. Despite this apparent handicap, Pixel phones are regarded as having industry-leading camera capabilities. The secret behind Google’s success has been its efficient use of Artificial Intelligence. It hasn’t all been hunky-dory, however, and to demonstrate a perceived lack of actual intelligence the Google camera app has been missing a common smartphone camera feature for quite some time now. To remedy that, change is on the horizon.
Reports are suggesting that Google might have resumed work on a Time Lapse mode for its camera app
Time Lapse photos allow you to capture more than just split seconds using your camera. They take multiple images and then stitch them all together so that you can show extended periods of time in mere seconds. They’re particularly good at capturing natural events like sunrises and sunsets.
According to the guys over at XDA, Google might be looking to finally introduce a time-lapse mode into its camera app. After tearing down the APK file for the latest Google Camera 6.1 update and looking through the code, XDA discovered some development of the particular string relating to a Time Lapse mode. This string has been a part of the Google Camera code for quite some time, but it has always remained dormant and unchanged through multiple Google Camera versions.

The Time Lapse string has acted as a placeholder across multiple generations of the Camera app but now, finally, Google is adding code on top of it. When they looked at the version of the Google Camera that shipped with review handsets of Google’s new Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 handsets XDA discovered actual code that hasn’t been present in past versions of the app.
All this means that it is highly likely that Google has recently begun working on a Time Lapse mode for its Camera app. This doesn’t mean that we’re guaranteed to see a Time Lapse mode on our Google Cameras just yet. If Google has only recently begun developing the Time Lapse mode, it could still be quite some time before it is ready for a general release. That is, even if Google has plans to introduce the new feature in the first place.

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READ NOW ►If we are going to get a new Time Lapse mode though, we’ll likely see it in a beta version of the Google Camera app first. That means if you want to hear about it first, you should keep checking Softonic for more updates on your favorite apps. Better yet, put your email address in the box below and we’ll make sure we put the latest apps and software news right at your fingertips.

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Check them outPatrick Devaney is a news reporter for Softonic, keeping readers up to date on everything affecting their favorite apps and programs. His beat includes social media apps and sites like Facebook, Instagram, Reddit, Twitter, YouTube, and Snapchat. Patrick also covers antivirus and security issues, web browsers, the full Google suite of apps and programs, and operating systems like Windows, iOS, and Android.
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