It’s been a long time coming, but Google has finally added external microphone support for video recording to the camera app.
Found by XDA-Developers in V6.1 of the Google Camera app after the promise of the feature was first seen by Android Police on the Pixel Support Forum where a Google employee said
Hi, folks — Isaac here from the Pixel Camera engineering team. I have been keeping an eye on this thread since the beginning and have good news. At the same time as Pixel 3 launch (October 18th), we will introduce support for Android-compatible plugged-in external microphones in the default camera app for all Pixels. I hope you all enjoy the update.
Adding in external microphone support has been an oft-requested feature by users wanting to create video in busier areas where ambient noise can be a problem.
According to XDA-Developers, the external mic support works with headsets that include an in-line mic, but haven’t made mention of dedicated microphones so some testing may be required. The new icon shows up in the video recording view in the camera app with the option to use an external mic.
The latest version of the Google Camera also includes RAW support and the new new user interface from the Pixel 3, though none of the Pixel 3 camera improvements including Top Shot are included.
The update is rolling out now through Google Play on supported devices, or you can side load the updated APK from APKMirror if you’re antsy.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.GoogleCamera
