Google Photos has a massive database of everywhere I've been for the past four years. I must admit I didn’t even realize everything I do is backed-up to the giant Google cloud, at least for a while. Then suddenly, one day, an automatic GIF popped up. I was delighted, and confused, but mainly delighted. Google Photos is now my photograph cloud storage backup of choice.

The best part is that Google keep making it better. Not content with merely offering custom GIFs, collages, and memories, the Google Photos mobile app can automatically stabilize your shaky videos with a single tap.

Miracle Worker?

Most major smartphones now offer some form of image stabilization. This is usually a hardware feature that attempts to keep your jerky footage smooth. Others, like the Google Pixel, attempt to keep it smooth using software. There are mixed results, depending on the phone, quality of video, and of course, how twitchy the original video is.

The addition of video stabilization to Google Photos is going to follow in that mixed results trend. Working alongside existing stabilization hardware and software means your recordings potentially receive a massive improvement. Even if the phone has neither, even a small amount of post-processing stabilization will help to clean up the video.

The stabilized video will be slightly cropped, as you might expect. Here is a side-by-side demo of someone using the stabilization tool.

Less Shaky Than Before

Google Photo's video stabilization won't turn a rough video of you riding a bike down the stairs and make it look as smooth as ice-cream. That just will not and cannot happen using this technology. But if your goal is to simply smooth over some rough edges on some basic film, especially for video being created for personal use, there is potential.

Is this going to make a difference to your shaky videos? Or is there simply no hope? Do you use a third-party app to smooth your videos already? What are your tips for reducing jerky video footage? Let us know your thoughts below!

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