The Google Pixel 8 Pro's video boost feature was released as part of the December Pixel Feature Drop, but it appears there was more to it than initially perceived.

Android Police reports finding slight changes to the camera app UI, making it easier for users to enable video boost in certain situations.

Supposedly, the Pixel 8 Pro's camera app recommended using Video Boost with Night Sight when attempting to shoot video in dimly lit environments. This is reportedly different from the message Night Sight sent when it was first rolled out. Initially, the prompt was so large that it took up three-quarters of the screen and used a large toggle for the video boost.

The new prompt is apparently less intrusive, but also more specific about how to activate it. Apparently, the new prompt only appears when trying to take a picture in low-light situations with the Google Pixel 8 Pro's camera. The reason it is important that the prompt appears is for the simple reason that video boost is not automatically activated and is therefore easy to forget.

Video Boost is an interesting addition to the Pixel 8 Pro, but there are some limitations to getting it to work properly. In theory, Video Boost should be used to improve video quality by updating the dynamic range, sharpness, color, and stabilization of uploaded videos. However, Google Photo Backup must be enabled to use this feature.

It should also be noted that Video Boost does not actually work locally on the Pixel 8 Pro, despite the reported power of the Tensor G3 chip. Instead, it works by transferring the recorded video to a Google Cloud server, where it runs each frame through the HDR Image+ pipeline to improve the video quality. This transfer is also the reason why the Video Boost feature is always activated and must be turned on every time the camera app is launched.

This is a simple change, but one that will certainly make it easier for users to get the best results from their phones. The video boost feature has reported significant improvements with low-light videos, so the toggle improvements are a great addition.