Google’s June ‘Pixel Drop’ release brings AstroLapse, Locked Photo folder and more

Google has announced the latest June security update for Android has been released today, but it also includes new features for Google Pixel phone owners including new Astrophotography features, GBoard improvements, a secure folder for Photos and more.

The Astrophotography  update adds in timelapse video, letting you capture ‘videos of the stars moving across the sky all during the same exposure’. Once you capture a photo in night sight, both the photo and video will then appear in your camera roll. 

Also announced was the locked folder for Google Photos. After the update, Pixel users can snap a shot and save it directly to a secure folder, or move existing pictures or video into there as well. This folder is handy for saving pics of any er, um, well, Google says the folder is for ‘pictures of an upcoming gift for a loved one, or screenshots of your recent receipts’ – but basically it lets you store some pics out of sight (and access) of anyone you hand your phone to so they can check out a picture.

Google has also rolled updates for GBoard into the update to make copying and pasting smarter. After the update, GBoard will detect if you’ve copied text that includes a phone number, email address or URL, and then present those as snippets of text you can choose to paste into apps.

Finally, if you’ve ever wanted to get Google Assistant to answer your calls, well, we’re getting closer with Assistant now able to do so, or reject it if you ask it. You now just need to say “Hey Google, answer call” or “Hey Google, reject call.” 

If you do want a bonus, it’s Pride month and Google has included ‘Three bold, joyful wallpaper designs were created exclusively for Pixel by Ashton Attzs’. 

Of course Google has dropped support for some older phones – but they’ve handily given us this table for which features are coming to which Pixel phones. 

The Pixel Drop features are rolling out to Google Pixel phone owners now as part of the Google monthly security update.