Google Photos is set to get a host of changes and new features with the upcoming update. Not only will it make things easier to find the pictures you are looking for, but the process of organizing, importing photos and videos, and sorting through the albums has just become easier. These features will roll out gradually to Google Photos users on iOS and Android over the coming weeks, the company said.
Let’s take a look into the changes that will come to our phones shortly.
1. An Updated layout of the Library Tab
The layout of the updated Library tab will be a grid (or list) that you can then filter and sort through by type (albums, shared albums, favorites, on-device folders). This will be a much easier and time-saving manner for users to sort through their albums and find what they are looking for without much of a hassle.
If that is not enough, you can also organize photos and albums that are not there on Google Photos. This is possible through the new “import photos” section below the album grid, which is placed alongside the buttons for the Locked Folder, utilities, archive, and trash. You can now easily copy photos from other places, digitize other media (photos, videos, or film), or even move photos to Photos from a camera. With this, Google Photos effectively becomes a one-stop-shop for all your photos, which you can then sort through at your leisure.
2. Sharing is caring: A redesigned Sharing tab
The Sharing Tab will be equipped with new sections for what the company says is “partner sharing, shared albums, and conversations.” This feature is coming to iOS “soon” and this week for Android.
At the moment, there are two buttons at the top that lets users create a shared album or share media with their partner. Now, they will be replaced by a single “Start shared album” button, followed by dedicated sections for partner sharing and shared albums. The conversations and shared links will appear underneath the shared albums section, thus making it easier for you to find, view, and manage shared photos and videos.
3. Screenshots get more love
A part of our gallery is filled with screenshots, but they are often saved on the device folder itself and not backed up. This holds, especially for Pixel or other Android users, and now, you can access those screenshots with Google Photos.
Google is now adding a shortcut at the top of the main photo grid that will take you straight to the screenshots you saved on your device. This is certainly not the last of the upcoming features, but the following features will come only on Android. If you are an Android user, then you will be presented with “a carousel of contextual suggestions” to text, crop, search, or copy text using Google Lens from a screenshot.
