[Update: Limit removed in Beta 1] Android 11 could potentially remove 4GB video recording limit

Damien Wilde | Jun 15 2020 - 2:20 am PT

At present, one of the most frustrating aspects of Android is the arbitrary video recording limit of many devices.

[Update 06/15]: So after four developer previews, it has taken until the first public-facing Android 11 Beta for the 4GB video recording limit to be removed on Android. The change was spotted by the guys over at Android Police, who notes that while the limit has been removed, it’s frustratingly not supported by any apps as yet.

With the likelihood of 4K 60fps video coming on future Google Pixel devices, have a forced 4GB limit on video files might be infuriating to some of you out there. Android Police also notes that while the recording limit has been lifted with Android 11 Beta 1, because apps don’t yet support the option properly, you will still currently see split 4GB files when hitting that “limit.”

The updated API means that so long as applications update to use this newer API without the cap, we should soon be able to blast past that old 4GB limit — and not have to stitch larger files together. What’s weird is that Google Camera doesn’t even support the larger files yet either, but given that Android 11 Beta 1 has only just been announced and then made available, we’re sure more developers and Google will start adding support soon.

However, thanks to some digging by the folks over at XDA-Developers, it appears that the current 4GB video recording limit could soon be raised in a future Android 11 build. Alongside the upcoming dark mode scheduling, we’re sure that this would be a very welcome addition — and one that feels long overdue.

If you use any current Android flagship, such as the Google Pixel 4, when recording video at 4K UHD resolution, you’ll get around 12 minutes of continuous footage before the app saves the file and creates a new one. For most people, this isn’t likely an issue if you record for just a few minutes at a time.

It is annoying that files were seemingly recorded in one long session are broken up into these 4GB files within your DCIM folder. To combine them into one file, you’ll have to use a third-party app or video editing software — which is another small annoyance.

XDA notes that a new commit within the AOSP gerrit looks like we’ll see the 4GB video recording limit removed within Android 11. With phones set to be released in 2020 with 8K video recording, the removal of the limit makes a heck of a lot of sense. It would really be frustrating given the increased file size associated with the ultra-high-resolution format.

It’s worth noting that this commit has not been merged yet. So it’s likely to come in a future Android 11 build. Considering the first Android 10 beta was released in March 2019, we may not have long to wait to get over the 4GB video recording limit on our smartphones.