Mamas—do me a favor.

Grab your phone, and open your photos. (Go ahead…I’ll wait.) Now, look at the 10 most recent pictures. How many are photos of your kids? (Umm come on, all of them, who are we kidding here?) But more importantly, how many pics are you in? Three? One? Zero?


That’s what I thought.

And while we’re at it—how many of your photos have a blurry child zooming through the frame? Or were taken a few seconds after whatever you were trying to capture actually happened?

Capturing candid, genuine photos of your family is no easy task—but that’s all about to change, mamas. Google Clips is here, and after testing it out for the last few weeks, we’re so excited to share with you how it’s changed the way we take pictures.

But first things first: what exactly is Google Clips, and what does it do?

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Google Clips is a small, lightweight, hands-free camera that uses smart tech to effortlessly capture spontaneous moments of the people you love. Hold it in your hand, clip it to just about anything, or simply set it down nearby, and let the magic happen. It creates 7-second, audio-free motion photos, or “clips,” of whatever’s going on around it which you can then edit, save, or share.

And Google Clips gets smarter over time. It’s got built-in facial recognition technology, so it’s able to learn the who’s who in your life and will know to focus on capturing shots of those important people. It’s also able to recognize facial expressions, good lighting, and photo framing, so you’re more likely to snap the perfect pic every time.

So cool, right?

Right out of the box, I loved how compact and portable Clips was. And I loved the idea behind it. But to be completely honest, I had my doubts about just how useful this cool little device might be.

Boy, was I wrong. (It happens occasionally, okay? Please don’t tell my husband.)

Google Clips was SO MUCH FUN to use. Set up your shot, turn the camera lens to power it on (the camera will light up so you know it’s in use), and have at it.

Having a hands-free camera on hand to snap candid family moments was so awesome; it allowed me to put down my phone and really be in the moment—and in all of the photos.

From capturing things as simple as my son’s expressions while we built blocks together to clipping the camera on the side of the slide at the park and watching his face as he whizzed down, the possibilities are truly endless.

Clips also made it easy to sync and save the photos I loved. Photo clips wirelessly sync directly to your Google Clips phone app (available for Android or iOS), and it’s simple to save or delete clips, choose an individual frame to save as a high-res photo, or organize your photos either in Google Photos or another photo app. (There’s even an option to run an in-app highlights reel where Clips will automatically highlight the best moments for you, which I loved.) Clips are stored right the device, not on a cloud, so nothing leaves the device unless you decide to share it, alleviating any security concerns.

Will Clips replace your smartphone or DSLR? Probably not. There was a bit of a learning curve involved—it took a few tries for me to figure out the best shot setup and at what distance the camera works best. (About 3’-8’ away from your subject, in case you’re wondering!)

But what Google Clips will do is catch all of the candid family moments you’ll want to look back on for years to come. From tummy time and stroller rides to family excursions and singing happy birthday to your first born, Google Clips gets your phone out of your hands and makes it easier for you to capture—and be present in—the family moments you’ll treasure.

Google Clips retails for $249 and works best with Pixel, Samsung S7/8 and on the iPhone 6 and up. It’s available from the Google Store, Best Buy, and Verizon.

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