Google Photos, best known for preserving memories, turns 10 today. Along with maintaining its streak as one of the most versatile platforms for capturing, editing, and organising photos and videos, it has now been enhanced with AI features. The new revamped model is part of the app’s milestone of completing a decade.
“10 years ago today, we introduced Google Photos as a home for your photos and videos. Since then, we’ve added tons of features that make it so much more than that: AI tools help you instantly find that specific photo you’re looking for; editing options let you bring your photos to life; and new sharing features make it easier than ever to stay in touch,” Shimrit Ben-yair, the Vice President of Google Photos and Google One writes on Linkedin.
Millions depend on Google Photos for sharing, editing and compiling photos into memories. Now, Google is aiming towards unfolding what is possible with AI to push boundaries.
Sharing never got easier with the advent of QR codes. Users can now generate a QR code for an album and later share it for the rest to access. By scanning, the receiver can instantly view and even add photos. Google has also suggested the feature to be used in a gathering where people can add their photos. This also ends the burden of sending all of the files separately.
Users can now receive suggestions for an edit when specific parts of the photo are selected. This also improves user experience as they are offered the right tools for an edit. Moreover, these changes would also make photo editing accessible to everyone, whether beginner or professional. The update will be available in June for Android users and later this year for iOS users.
In order to avoid a reminder of sad moments in memories, Google now lets users hide photos according to their preferences. This feature can be availed by accessing Photos > Settings > Preferences > Memories. Users can choose the date, people, or photos to hide.
This feature helps you find photos with specific details—for instance, ‘me in a park’. Once people are also recognised on the app, searching their names would ultimately provide their photos as well.
As the term suggests, this feature allows users to free up space for new photos and videos by removing files that have already been backed up to the cloud. They can still maintain access to everything in their Google Photos library. This is an essential feature for those running out of storage space.
According to Google, 1.5 billion people use Google Photos monthly, with over 9 trillion photos and videos stored on the platform. With these enhancements, users can use the app more effectively, making it the go-to for every memory captured.
