How to Reduce the Size of Video Files on Google Pixel 4 Without Compromising Quality
The Google Pixel 4 and 4 XL smartphones officially launch tomorrow. While most people can probably configure their devices themselves at this point, there is one small tweak that you need to be aware of if you are good at shooting video – this will help you save space on your device without sacrificing video quality.
The default Pixel 4 format for video files, H.264 / AVC, yields larger files than the more efficient H.265 / HEVC that was recently added as an option on older Pixel phones. Pixel 4 users can switch to the newer H.265 / HEVC version to save storage space on their phones, but you need to update the Google Camera app to the latest version (7.2 or higher) first, as this option may not be available on newer Devices Pixel 4 right out of the box.
How to enable Efficient Video Storage on Pixel 4
Before we begin, Google warns that the H.265 / HEVC format may not be supported by some applications and may limit your download and sharing options, but you can always disable this option (and sacrifice a little more storage) if you run into any questions.
- Open the Google Camera app and tap More.
- Go to Settings> Advanced.
- Turn on “Effective video storage”. This will replace the default H.264 / AVC codec with H.265 / HEVC.
If you’re wondering how much space you can save in a typical video, Mac Observer ran some tests back in 2017 that are worth checking out. While it’s doubtful you’ll be cutting the size of your videos in half in each case, you can save a pretty good chunk of space (without losing quality) by using H.265 instead of H.264.