Android 15 Might Allow Third-Party Camera Apps to Offer Improved Video Stabilisation

According to a report, Android 15 could allow third-party apps to offer improved quality in terms of video stabilization. The code for Google's upcoming Android operating system suggests that the company could introduce a new “extension” that will allow alternative camera apps downloaded from the Play Store to access the same algorithms used by the default (or “stock”) camera app ) on a user's smartphone. in the coming months. Manufacturers can choose to enable this functionality, but Google can provide a software-based alternative to access these advanced camera features.

Android Authority spotted a new Camera2 extension called “Eyes Free videography” in the code for Android 15, in the Android Open Source Project (AOSP). A Camera2 extension allows third-party camera apps to access the algorithms available to the manufacturer's camera app. Google is reportedly offering access to five extensions (Auto, Bokeh, Face Retouch, HDR and Night) on various Android 14 smartphones.

The new Eyes Free Camera2 video extension in Android 15 “aims to lock and stabilize a given region or object of interest,” according to the description of the feature spotted by the publication. While the extensions mentioned above are related to image capture, the new extension is designed to improve video stabilization in third-party camera apps.

It's worth noting that OEMs will still need to implement the new Camera2 extension for Android 15; some manufacturers have reportedly enabled access to one or more of the five extensions available in Android 14. However, the report claims that Android 15 could introduce a new “allow camera software extensions” designed to provide a software implementation of the feature that may not be as optimized, but would allow third-party camera apps to access the extension and provide improved video quality.

Google is expected to roll out Android 15 to eligible Pixel smartphones later this year, and the next-gen OS is expected to arrive with support for lock screen widgets, privacy features meant to hide sensitive details while screen recording, a new “app quarantine” feature, a “private space” to hide apps, and several other new features. Some of them are currently available in the latest Android 15 public beta, while others could be enabled by the company when the stable version is released later this year.