Google is reportedly working on a new feature for its Pixel smartphones that will effectively turn them into a dashcam. The two-in-one product may make sense for the phone’s users, since dedicated hardware can be expensive.
The product was found by 9to5google, which spotted a “dogfood” build of the feature in Google’s Personal Safety app. According to Stack Overflow, “dogfooding” is when developers take apps home with them to test them in the real world, suggesting that the new feature was uploaded to the public version of the app in error.
In any case, the Personal Safety App is available on Google’s Pixel and a handful of other Android devices. It has features like “Emergency Sharing,” “Safety Check,” and “Car Crash Detection,” with which a new dashcam function would fit right in.
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The pre-release feature was simply called “Dashcam,” and did what the discoverers expected it to. Set it up on your dashboard, and it records video (and, optionally, audio) while you drive. Although that is by no means a new idea, it’s one that has historically required its own dedicated device.
To make sure its phones can compete with those specialized products, Google has done more than just give its users a new way to hit the record video button. The feature has a number of subtle, but clever tricks to make a phone work as a dashcam.
To start with, the videos are compressed to save storage space. Google claims that the app can record up to 24 hours of footage, and that videos only take up around 30 MB of storage per minute of recording time. In addition, the videos are automatically deleted after three days, unless you save them.
Google’s Dashcam has also been designed to be as seamless as possible. The function can be set up to start working automatically as soon as you connect your phone to a particular Bluetooth device, such as your vehicle’s infotainment system. The recording ends as soon as you disconnect.
While running, the dashcam can work whether you turn your screen off to save battery, or leave it on. That means that while it’s recording, you could also use your phone to navigate, for instance. Presumably you’ll want to have your phone plugged while you do that, but it’s a nice way to get as much use out of it as possible.
Although it’s not clear when the Dashcam feature will be rolled out in its completed form, Google is planning a feature drop for the Pixel in June, which seems like it would be a great time to introduce this product.
