Android 15 code hints at better video stabilization in social media apps – Android Police

Summary

• You can get better camera control on Android by switching to third-party apps.
• Android 15 could bring a new API called Eyes Free videography, which aims to stabilize video footage from social apps as well as the stock camera app.
• A new Settings option in Android 15 allows users to enable these camera extensions as well, benefiting third-party apps even if manufacturers don’t offer support.

Android is a wonderful ecosystem in that developers can create apps that rival the functionality of standard apps that come pre-installed on devices by manufacturers. While it’s impossible to get rid of the standard camera app on your phone, you can get that extra bit of detail and control by switching to one of our favorite camera apps. A look at Android 15’s code reveals API changes that could help these third-party apps stabilize video footage almost as well as the original camera app.

Although optical image stabilization is implemented at the hardware level, video stabilization also relies on complex algorithms. The pre-installed camera app on your Android device typically handles focus tracking and subject stabilization much better than a downloaded app, as the latter depends on support from the device manufacturer of some camera extensions that app developers can access through the Camera2 Extensions APIs for feature support.

In an article for Android Authority, apex geek Mishaal Rahman explains that starting with Android 14, there are five extensions supported by the Camera2 Extensions API, named Auto, Bokeh, Face retouch, HDR, and Night. Although the responsibility for implementing these extensions lies with the device OEMs like Samsung or OnePlus, leading to drastic variations in the availability of extensions on devices, they all focus on still images and do not do not affect video processing.

Better stabilization under Android 15

However, Rahman spotted a new Camera2 extension API called Eyes Free videography. If the name wasn’t obvious enough, this extension is coded to “lock and stabilize a given region or object of interest.” In theory, this should help apps relying on the Camera2 API provide better video stabilization. Like the other five extensions already available, this addition to the list with Android 15 will also make third-party app videos about as stable as stock camera app clips, directly benefiting clips filmed in Snapchat, Instagram, etc. .

On the one hand, it’s still up to your device manufacturer to offer support for the new EyesFree videography extension, but on the other hand, Rahman also spotted a new Settings option under Security & Privacy → More Security & Privacy called Allow camera software extensions. It should immediately enable the Eyes Free videography extension as well as the software-level implementation of other image processing extensions, so that third-party applications designed to exploit these capabilities can benefit even if the device manufacturer takes shortcuts and does not support extensions.