Google Photos

It may soon be easier to pull pictures from your Google Photos library into Android apps, as a new change in the system’s photo picker will integrate with cloud storage apps.

Large language models (LLMs) will make possible a slew of new capabilities in consumer apps over the coming years. Google has explored creating a personalized chatbot that can “answer previously impossible questions” about your life by setting LLMs loose on your Google Photos library and other sources.

One of the big new features Google is preparing for the Pixel 8 Pro is “Video Boost,” which promises to greatly improve video quality through post-processing on Google’s servers. While there’s no firm release date for that just yet, the Google Photos app is setting the foundation.

Following the big app redesign, Google Photos is rolling out a trio of new features, like auto-grouping Photo Stacks.

Google Photo’s Magic Editor is an impressive AI-driven editing tool that can turn captured photos into something completely artificial. Though potentially problematic, Google does have a set of restrictions in place on what you can and cannot edit – though it doesn’t seem very good about enforcing it.

For any normal Google Photos user, the homescreen can get cluttered with similar photos. A new “Photo Stack” feature might mediate that in a future update, housing similar photos in their own virtual piles.

Google Photos is using AI to let you quickly create topical “Highlight videos” on Android and iOS. It’s meant to replace the previous “Movie” maker functionality.

As we spotted at the start of this year, Google Photos is making a sizable change to how it handles RAW imagery and backup on Android. Rolling out now, this greatly elevates the format but could have some downsides.

With Android 14, developers can build share sheets with app-specific actions, and Google Photos is now replacing its custom implementation with a native one.

Not long ago Roku announced a feature that would put your photos on the screensaver, and now that feature is expanding to add support for Google Photos.

Last month, Google announced a redesign to Photos that revamps the Memories feature, tweaks the bottom bar, and makes other changes. It’s now seeing wider availability in the US.

Windows Photos is getting a significant feature update with content and text recognition in photos, as well as support for motion photos taken on Google and Samsung devices.

Announced at the end of last month, the ability to sync the Google Photos Locked Folder across devices signed in to your Google Account is rolling out more widely.

Since its 2021 launch, the complaint that emerged with the Google Photos Locked Folder is people setting up new devices only to find that those images and videos didn’t transfer over. Google Photos is now addressing that with Locked Folder backup, with the broader feature also coming to iOS and the web.

Google Photos is launching one of its first big updates in a while, with a new redesigned navigation bar and revamped “Memories” rolling out starting today.

While we wait for Magic Editor, Google Photos is adding new effects to make videos “pop” with one of 12 different styles that just requires a tap.  

Google usually prioritizes its Android and iOS apps when adding new features, but Google Photos on the web is now adding advanced editing Google One tools.