Google’s Video Boost Feature Gets a Major Usability Upgrade

Google’s Video Boost feature — exclusive to the Pixel 8 Pro, 9 Pro, and 9 Pro XL — uses AI to improve video quality, especially in low-light settings or when extra stabilization is needed. Now, the feature appears to be receiving a significant usability upgrade, according to some users on Reddit (as highlighted by our contributor Assemble Debug).

Previously, you had to manually enable Video Boost in the Pixel Camera app before recording each clip. But several Pixel Pro users have reported that the feature now stays active automatically. One Reddit user shared, “Ever since video boost came out, I’d have to manually go into the settings and enable it before every video, which is super inconvenient and almost ruins the feature. But sometime within the past few weeks, every video that I take has been automatically processing with video boost, which is such a major improvement.”

Other users confirmed this change, noting that once Video Boost is enabled, it remains active even if the Camera app is closed and reopened. This adjustment has been widely praised as a welcome improvement.

However, this always-on behavior could come with some caveats. Video Boost records in 4K by default, which means videos take up more storage space than standard 4K or 1080p clips. To save space, users have the option to switch to Full HD, but remembering to adjust settings for every video might be inconvenient. Additionally, boosted videos can fill up device storage and backup servers faster due to their larger file sizes.

It’s worth noting that this updated Video Boost functionality isn’t available to everyone just yet. For example, our Pixel 8 Pro, running the latest Pixel Camera app, still requires manual activation of Video Boost before each recording. It’s likely Google is rolling out the change gradually, as is common with new features in the Pixel software ecosystem.