Pixel 3 update turns your phone into your own personal kiss cam

Google’s Pixel 3 camera is getting even smarter. The latest camera update adds new “kiss recognition” abilities to the phone, allowing it to automatically detect — and photograph — your smooches.

The new feature, part of the newest update to the Google Camera app, is part of the Pixel 3’s Photobooth mode. Photobooth uses the front-facing camera to detect smiles and other expressions so you can snap selfies without actually physically pressing the shutter button.

With the new update, this now applies to photos where you’re kissing someone (or something). Plant a smooch your significant other/pet/child/glass of wine, and the Pixel 3’s camera should be able to snap your photo for you. 

It’s a fun update, but there’s actually some impressive AI at work behind the scenes. In order to build the feature, Google had to teach its software to recognize people kissing, and when it’s the optimal moment to shoot a photo. 

The company’s researchers also hint that the tech could eventually be used for much more than just kissey faces. Google may one day be able to expand its automatic photography abilities beyond specific facial expressions in a way that’s more like the Google Clips camera,

“We’re excited by the possibilities of automatic photography on camera phones,” Google writes in a blog post. “As computer vision continues to improve, in the future we may generally trust smart cameras to select a great moment to capture. Photobooth is an example of how can carve out a useful corner of this space – selfies and group selfies of smiles, funny faces, and kisses – and deliver a fun and useful experience.”