C. Scott Brown / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Google has added an audio source toggle to the Pixel line’s Connected Cameras feature.
- This means you can choose whether switching to a remote camera will also switch audio sources.
- This is great news, as we previously criticized this limitation after trying Connected Cameras earlier this year.
Google revealed the Connected Cameras feature for Pixel phones earlier this year. This allows Pixel owners to use another Pixel or GoPro as an extra camera during live streams for more camera angles. There was one annoying audio limitation, though, but Google has finally addressed this.
One notable limitation of Connected Cameras is that audio can only come from the camera currently in use. Fortunately, we discovered that the latest version of Google Camera Services (version 3.1.807663885.00) now lets you set your main phone as the audio source. Check out the screenshots below.
The Connected Camera UI now offers a three-dot menu that hides a Use connected camera audio toggle. Enabling this toggle means audio will come from your connected camera when you switch to it. So you can leave this option disabled if you want to switch video streams but always want audio to come from your primary device.
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Colleague C Scott Brown lamented this audio limitation when he tried Connected Cameras earlier this year. We’re therefore glad to see Google offering this addition. This could be particularly handy if you’re streaming and need a consistent level of audio. For example, this could be great if you’re streaming a podcast or interview, allowing you to use the audio from the closest camera while still switching between different angles.
The news also comes over a month after Google brought Connected Cameras to older Pixel phones. However, the feature only supports livestreams via the likes of YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok. We hope Google eventually enables this feature for standard video recording too.
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