Google Camera, the app that comes by default on Pixel devices (and which can be installed on any Android) allows you to take long exposure photos with your phone. This feature allows you to take photos with effects such as starry nights and light trails left by car headlights on a busy street, among others. But to do this, the user needs to enable manual mode in the phone's settings. camera.
Sliding down the photo mode menu just above the photo button, there is a Manual Camera option. From there, four options appear in the right corner: WB (white balance), Focus, EV, ISO (sensor sensitivity to light) and S (shutter speed). For long exposure photos, the last two options are the ones that matter.
The ISO sensor sensitivity number should be as low as possible so that long-exposure photos don't come out looking white or lacking detail on your phone. For these types of photos, the recommended ISO is between 50 and 100 (on the Android camera, the lowest ISO available is 100). The shutter speed S determines how long the sensor will remain open to light and how long you will have to record passing cars or a flashlight, for example.
Below you can see some of the photos that can be taken with the long exposure of the Manual Camera mode on your Android phone. It is worth noting that to have sharper photos it is a good idea to use a tripod.
Long exposure to take photos of drawings with light on your cell phone
In a low-light environment and with the shutter open for a few seconds, it is possible to draw figures or write words using a flashlight or colored lights. For this purpose, it is good to experiment with ISO numbers to have a photo with only the drawing or with the person who is drawing appearing in the background.
Long exposure to take photos of ghostly apparitions
To achieve a ghost-like or transparent effect in a long exposure photo, it's a good idea to experiment with lower ISO settings. This means that the person you're photographing should remain still for the first few seconds of the shutter being open, then move quickly out of the frame. A good timer to try is a 5-second timer, with the person moving after three seconds.
Long exposure to take pictures of stars
With your phone on a tripod, you point the camera at a clear night, with the lowest ISO available and a shutter speed of 20 to 30 seconds. Even in a place with a lot of light pollution like São Paulo, with a long exposure photo it is possible to capture more stars than what you can see with the naked eye.
For those who don't have manual mode on their cell phone's camera, there are some free and paid apps to try to take long exposure photos, such as Camera Lite Manual e Camera Pro Manual. But it's worth noting that some vendors prevent third-party apps from using all of the cameras on their Android phones, which are used exclusively by the device's own photo apps. This prevents all of the functions promised by the app from actually working, even with a paid app. It's best to download a free app and test whether you have access to the settings needed to take a long-exposure photo.
The long exposure photos above were taken with an Android phone. LG Velvet, in which the Google Camera app is already installed, and with Manual Camera mode activated.