Google Photos is receiving a lot of new features Today's the perfect time to share your Christmas photos. Besides the new PhotoScan app we mentioned yesterday, the company's photo app has just been updated to offer users... new tools in a revamped image editor.
Firstly, Google Photos now has a new set of editing toolsInstead of only showing the "Light", "Color", and "Pop" sliders, the app now features new drop-down menus for the first two categories, giving the user a greater control on these photographic variables, allowing you to work on shadows, whites, blacks, and much more.
They are also added to the application editor selective saturation settings to alter the color of certain areas of the image, such as skies or bodies of water. In addition, it will also be possible to adjust the skin tone when changing the saturation to prevent faces from becoming overly colorful when handling these variables.
More filters in Google Photos
Google Photos It also uses the Artificial Intelligence so that the application learns about the user's preferences. This "Auto" option of the application allows, for example, adjusting the exposure and the white balance around a subject's face, to make the image grow in quality without losing naturalness.
Also added 12 new filters These new filters allow you to change the look of your images without having to adjust the parameters of each photo individually, bringing Google Photos closer to other photo editing apps available on the Google Play Store. These new filters use the machine learning to adjust the image and add specific settings. One of them is called Blur, to apply a blur to photos in the purest style of portrait modeFurthermore, there are collections that affect Heavens and environments, enhancing colors and contrast with a cinematic touch.
Reorganized editor, Material 3 and quick access
The editor has reorganized from scratch with a bottom carousel-shaped bar that groups tools by category. An icon of magnifying glass It allows you to search for specific functions or view a complete list with brief descriptions to understand what each setting does. Key shortcuts such as trim, format change, flip and rotate, now with more controls Visual and rounded sliders with fluid animations.
AI is integrated into the workflow: in the "Auto" section, options such as Enhance, Dynamic y AI Enhance that optimize exposure, contrast, and color with a touch. If you need more control, the editor distributes advanced tools in themed tabs: «Stocks» (Magic Eraser, Best Take, clippings), «Markup» (text and highlights), «Filters» and the areas of «Lighting" Y "Color» for granular adjustments.
A key novelty is the selective editingYou can tap, circle, or paint with the brush to select areas and apply changes only to that area. The system suggests adequate tools for each region (faces, backgrounds, objects) and keeps the rest of the photograph intact for a natural finish.
They also arrive quick editing shortcuts superimposed on the photo: selector of aspect ratio, button for effect mirrorAI-assisted automatic framing and panning in sections 90°Everything is more easily accessible to speed up basic adjustments before making finer tweaks.
Gemini at the service of editing: plots, moves or requests by voice
Google's generative AI, GeminiIt appears as a proactive menu when you draw a line or select an area. From there, smart changes are applied in just a few steps: portrait blur with bokeh, delete elements (Magic Eraser), move cut-out objects within the scene and reinvent portions with a text prompt. These options are displayed on several tabs, not just in "Automatic," and streamline tasks that previously required going to the Magic Editor.
Another addition is the conversational voice editingAfter tapping "Help me edit," you can request "brighten the photo," "remove the cars from the background," or "restore the image"; the system interprets the command and applies the necessary combination of tools. If the result is not as expected, you can repeat the process. new instructions to perfect the photo, even with creative requests such as changing the background or adding decorative details.
Please note that AI editing requires Internet connection And, if you don't have a Google One plan, there may be a limit of 10 images per month for advanced processing. The deployment of these functions is carried out in a gradual from the serverTherefore, they may take some time to appear depending on the region or device.
Usability changes and frequent criticisms
- The trim corners They can be displayed permanently and there is an additional Crop button, which creates some redundancy.
- Some users notice a smaller preview image and a more elaborate overall view.
- Features like Pop o Focus They become actions and not sliders, reducing the speed of adjustment in certain flows.
- The change between sliders It involves UI transitions that add friction, and it's not always obvious which parameters have been modified.
- One is missing soft lock The sliders are set to 0, and sometimes they seem too long, requiring more than one gesture to traverse them.
- There have been reports of periods with lower temperatures. professional of the interface and image states that do not update until the control is changed.
The new tools are an interesting improvement considering the basic settings that existed until now in Google Photos, but they only work with JPG filesThe company is already working with the RAW image editing But for now it seems we'll have to wait a little longer.
Updating Google Photos It is now available to download from the Android app store.
In addition to this revamped editor, Google has been refining other areas of the app: improvements to the video editor, support of Ultra HDR in compatible images, better visualization of the Backup and a redesigned "Create" tab for accessing collages, animations, and memories. If you don't see the changes yet, closing the app completely and reopening it may help, although activation depends on the server.
The application goes from being just a gallery and backup to a smart editing suite Focused on the photo, it combines traditional manual adjustments with applied AI, zone selection, and voice commands. The result is faster, more precise, and accessible editing, even for those without technical expertise.