Google introduced the “Night Mode” camera feature on the Pixel 3, officially calling it Night Sight. The mode debuted in November 2018 as part of Google’s Pixel Camera software and was designed to produce brighter, more detailed photographs in very low light without requiring a flash or tripod.
Night Sight uses computational photography rather than relying only on a larger sensor or brighter lens. The phone captures a burst of multiple frames, then combines them to reduce noise, brighten shadows, and limit blur caused by small movements. Google’s machine-learning systems also help estimate color and white balance in scenes that are too dark for ordinary smartphone cameras.
A common mix-up is the name: Apple later popularized “Night mode” on the iPhone, while Samsung uses terms such as Night mode or Bright Night. Pixel 3’s feature is specifically Night Sight. Google later brought versions of it to older Pixel phones and expanded it with astrophotography capabilities on later models.