When the Google Pixel 9 series launched, it came with a number of exclusive software features to tempt more people into upgrading, including Pixel Screenshots and the Add Me tool for composite photos. The latest Pixel 9-only feature to roll out is called Connected Cameras, and it means you can use any Pixel 9 series handset as a viewfinder and remote for a compatible GoPro camera, or another Pixel phone.
It’s easy to see why this could be useful: You could mount your GoPro on your helmet, or put another Pixel phone in a spot you can’t easily get to (like on a high wall), and then control these cameras and see what they’re seeing from your Pixel 9 handset.
For this to work, you need any Pixel 9 model to get the feature set up, then either a GoPro 10 (or later) or a Pixel 6 (or later) as the camera to connect to. The process of getting everything configured varies slightly depending on whether you’re using an action camera or a phone, and you need to have the latest software installed on all your devices.
Connecting to a second camera
Credit: Lifehacker
First, you need to turn the Connected Cameras feature on. From the Pixel 9 you want to use to control another camera, open Settings and then tap Connected devices > Connection preferences > Connected Cameras. Read all the info shown on screen, then enable the Use Connected Cameras toggle switch.
If you’re connecting to a GoPro, it needs to be paired over Bluetooth. Back on the Connection preferences screen, tap Bluetooth, and make sure it’s turned on. Then, tap Pair new device. Put your GoPro into pairing mode (on the latest models, swipe down from the top of the rear touchscreen, then swipe left and choose + Pair Device), and it should appear on your phone as a Bluetooth device you can connect to—just tap the GoPro name to connect.
For making a connection to another Pixel phone, they both need to be linked to the same Google account, and they both need to have cross-device services enabled: To check this is switched on, open Android Settings, then tap your name at the top and choose All services, then Cross-device services. As long as those two criteria are met, Connected Cameras should work.
A few considerations to bear in mind: You can only use one remote camera at a time, so if you want to switch, you need to disconnect from the current remote camera first. The audio will be sourced from the camera you’ve connected to (as well as the images and video), but if you’re doing this over Bluetooth then you might notice some degradation in the sound quality.
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Capturing content inside apps
Look for this camera picker in compatible apps, like Snapchat.
Credit: Lifehacker
Once you’ve got a device connected you’re almost there, but you can’t simply launch the Camera app on your Pixel 9 and start snapping away: You need to use an app that’s compatible with Connected Camera, and right now the apps that qualify are Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok.
Each of these apps can capture images and video, as well as set up livestreams, and they all feature a camera picker that lets you choose a camera other than the one built into the phone they’re running on. You can even switch between the camera on your Pixel 9 and the remote camera while recording or livestreaming a video.
Open up any of the five apps supporting the feature, and whenever you get to a screen for shooting photos or video, you should see the camera picker icon: It looks like a little digital camera, at the side of the screen. Tap this, and you’ll see any connected GoPros listed, as well as the option to Add Pixel (which will connect you to another Pixel phone—you’ll need to confirm the connection on the other Pixel too).
Once the connection is made, you’re able to capture photos and videos in the app as normal. To change the camera, just tap the camera picker icon again. Based on my brief testing, it all works as advertised, though the Bluetooth connection to a GoPro can take some moments before it’s fully established.
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