Skip to main content

Google Clips is a tiny camera that uses AI to automatically photograph family moments

Google Clips is a tiny camera that uses AI to automatically photograph family moments

Share this story

If you buy something from a Verge link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement.

In addition to its Pixel phones and Home devices, Google announced a surprise today during its Pixel event. The company has come out with a camera that uses artificial intelligence to capture intimate moments that you aren’t able to get on your own. If your dog or baby is camera-shy, you can plant the Google Clips camera somewhere nearby to automatically take photos for you. The camera is trained to capture soundless video of faces and pets that it recognizes.

As shown in the demo onstage, Google Clips looks to be targeting parents and pet owners, allowing them to focus more on interacting with their kids and pets than holding a camera in their hand. By only capturing soundless video, Google Clips dodges any laws against wiretaps. When the camera is on, an LED light blinks to let those in the room know they are being photographed.

“How do you let yourself capture those fleeting moments, while being part of the moment?” asks Google product manager Juston Payne.

You can export the recordings as video, photos, or GIFs. It comes in a two-tone white-and-teal color pairing, with a battery life of three hours of continuous use. It has a 12-megapixel sensor and a 130-degree field-of-view lens, and takes photos at 15 fps. Lastly, it has 16GB of internal memory.

It’s currently only compatible with Pixels, iPhone 8 and 8 Plus, and the Samsung Galaxy S7 and S8, and the photos are transferred over from the camera to devices through Wi-Fi. The Google Clips camera will be available for $249.

For an exclusive look at all the new Google devices announced, check out our interview with CEO Sundar Pichai.