10 must-try Google Photos tips and tricks – including a new AI editor
Google / Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNETGoogle Photos has just reached its 10th birthday, and the company is celebrating. To mark the occasion, Google is serving up a host of tips and tricks designed to enhance your photos via your mobile device. But first, here are a few stats to show the reach of Google Photos.Also: I tried the new Gemini button in Google Photos – and classic search is officially historyMore than 1.5 billion people use Google Photos on a monthly basis, according to Google. The service houses more than 9 trillion photos and videos. Each month, people run more than 370 million searches, edit 210 million photos, and share 440 million of them. And now, how about those tips? 1. New AI-powered photo editor First up is a new and improved photo editor that employs AI to help you fine-tune your images. The new editor will offer AI-inspired suggestions for enhancing your photos and include a batch of different editing tools. Using the suggestions, you’ll be able to quickly edit a photo with multiple effects or tap a specific part of the photo for advice on modifying that area. Also: The best AI image generators: Gemini, ChatGPT, Midjourney, and moreThe editor will incorporate such tools as Reimagine and Auto frame (initially available on the Pixel 9), along with the usual controls for brightness, contrast, and other attributes. Sounds cool, but you’ll have to wait for it. The revamped editor will start rolling out globally to Android next month and to iOS later in the year. 2. Share albums via QR codes Instead of sharing albums through the usual Share command, you can now do so with a QR code. Upon generating the code, you can share an album with a person nearby. This feature is just now starting to roll out. I found it by updating the Google Photos app on my Android device to the latest version. Also: 6 hidden Android features that make my life easier – and that you’re overlookingTo try it, update the app on your end. Open it, tap the Collections icon, select Albums, and tap a specific album. Tap the Share icon at the bottom and then select the option for “Share QR Code.” Scan the code with another device to grab the photos. 3. Revisit past places You’ve probably snapped photos of the different places you’ve visited over the years. Now you can revisit the actual locations, at least virtually. For this, tap the Collections icon and select Places. Swipe through the thumbnails of all your photos, and a map will show you each place where you’ve taken a photo. More