A dashcam feature for compatible Android devices is in the works within Google’s Safety app

Anyone who owns a pixel as an Android device today knows the safety app. Here you can set all sorts of things, e.g. B. Sharing your location if something serious happens or calling 112. According to 9to5Google, the app will soon have another useful additional feature in the form of a dashcam.

It kind of makes sense: your smartphone’s camera is way better than standalone dashcams you buy at the store. The only requirement is that you place your device in a mount in the car so everything looks nice on the screen. You have to start the dashcam function manually every time you get in the car. The smartphone remains perfectly usable, everything works as if nothing else is happening in the background.

You can also ensure that the dash cam function starts automatically by connecting to a specific Bluetooth device, in this case your car. To ensure that your smartphone doesn’t fill up too quickly with saved videos, Google says the videos are compressed (30MB per minute) and have a maximum length of 24 hours.

The feature is currently hidden in a trial version of the Safety app on a Google Pixel smartphone. It’s unclear when the feature will be rolled out publicly, but according to 9to5Google, the trial version is already working properly. Perhaps the Dashcam app will appear in the June Pixel feature update?

It’s not yet clear which Android devices will eventually support the dashcam feature. Google’s Pixel phones seem to have the edge, perhaps other devices will follow. Continuous video recording requires a lot of processing power, which negatively affects battery life and generates additional heat. When you power your device, additional heat is generated. Google may have to test this function separately for each manufacturer. Or it keeps everything to itself in the pixel realm.

Meanwhile, Google is releasing the first test versions of Android 14 with developers. If you want to get started, you can go here.