Google Photos introduces new AI-powered features to organize gallery

Photos Stacks groups similar photos taken together and picks the best one from the stack. Further, users can now create calendar reminders from screenshots of tickets or photos of events.

By Sumit Roy

November 16, 2023 at 6:04 pm

1 minute read

131 comments

Google Photos new AI-powered features — Image: Google

Google has introduced Photo Stacks, a new AI-powered feature in Google Photos that groups similar photos taken together and picks the best one from the stack. Moreover, Google Photos now uses AI to categorize screenshots and documents into different albums, such as IDs, receipts, and event information. These features are rolling out gradually for iOS and Android users. Here are the details.

Table of Contents

Group similar photos with Photo Stacks

Google has introduced a new AI-powered feature in the Photos app called Photo Stacks that automatically groups similar photos taken together. It selects the top pick from the stack that best captures that moment. Users can also choose the top photo in the stack, modify the stacks, or turn off the Photo Stacks feature.

“Whether you’re trying to capture a beautiful sunset or large group photo, it might take several attempts to get the perfect shot. But all those extra snaps can add bulk to your gallery. In fact, a third of most people’s galleries are made up of similar photos. To help make your gallery tidier, Google Photos will automatically identify and group similar photos that were taken close together into Photo Stacks and select the top pick that best captures that moment,” said Guillermo Krovblit, Product Manager of Google Photos in a blog post.

Improvements for screenshots and documents

Screenshots and documents can be useful, but they also clutter the user’s gallery. To curb this, Google Photos now uses AI to detect and sort screenshots and documents into separate albums, such as IDs, receipts, event information, and more. This new feature also simplifies finding screenshots quickly and easily without scrolling through all photos.

Moreover, users can now set helpful reminders in their calendar from screenshots of a ticket or a picture they took for an upcoming event. For instance, if a user has a screenshot of a concert ticket on the Google Photos app, they can tap the Set Reminder button to add it to their calendar. Users will also get a reminder to view the screenshot when they need it. Additionally, users can opt to automatically archive their screenshots and documents after 30 days, which will remove them from their main gallery but keep them available from their specific albums.

Availability

Google is gradually rolling out the Photo Stacks and the improvements for screenshots and documents in the Google Photos app for iOS and Android users.

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Sumit Roy

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Sumit is the Editor-in-chief at OnlyTech. He loves to cover news about Windows PCs, Android, Smart Devices, and more. You can always find him experimenting with electronic devices when not in front of a computer.

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Siva May 30, 2015 #1

Finally, the photos app you've been waiting for.

You can have your Android M, your Brillo, your Cardboard and any of the other products announced at Google's I/O developer conference yesterday.

I just need Google Photos, a product I've been waiting for to create order out of my sprawling photo library. I have used Picasa for years to share photos with family, but it wasn't a great fit for backing up photos as I began to use my iPhone more and my dSLR less. And I didn't like Google+ trying to overthrow Picasa as my go-to online photo repository. But all is forgiven with the launch of Google Photos, which is frighteningly effective.

Google Photos works across a number of platforms: Android, iOS and on the Web. Like the Google Drive or Google+ apps before it, you can set the Google Photos mobile app up to backup the photos and videos you take on your phone. And like Drive and G+, Google Photos provides free unlimited storage when you opt for the High quality setting, which means full-res photos up to an ample 16-megapixel limit and HD videos up to 1080p. If you are dead set against any sort of compression, then you can choose Original, which saves full-resolution files that will count against your Google storage plan.

I have been using the Google Photos iOS app and the Web app and finally feel like I have a handle on my photo library, mostly because I'm terrible about organizing my photos and Google Photos does the heavy lifting for me. When I signed into my Google account, my old albums from Picasa were there along with all of the photos from my iPhone because I use the auto backup feature on the Google Drive app. Now, I can turn that off in Google Drive and use the Back up & sync setting in Google Photos.

On both the Web and iOS apps, Google Photos has three main views: Assistant, Photos and Collections. You can use the menu button in the upper-left corner to navigate between these three views or you can just swipe sideways to go from one to the other.

On the iOS app, you can pinch to zoom on the Photos view to drill down from year to month to day. There are basic edit tools, including an Auto adjust option and filters.

The Assistant view, according to Google, is where it will "suggest new things made with your photos and videos, such as a collage or a story based on a recent trip you took. After previewing the creation, you can choose to keep, edit, or discard it." The Assistant has yet to assist me, only telling me that I'm all caught up and to go take some pictures. I'm sure as I use the app more, my Assistant will hop to it.

Collections view contains your albums, movies and stories. Stories are albums that feature both photos and videos, and Google will take the initiative and create some stories for you. You can also create your own projects in one of five ways: Album, Movie, Story, Animation and Collage.

What I like most about Google Photos, other than it being its own app and not wedged into Drive or Google+ is its impressive search functionality which, given the developer, should come as no surprise. It also includes frighteningly accurate facial recognition software, which traced each of my kids back to baby photos when they looked more like generic babies than actual individuals.

In addition to People, Google Photos also lets you search your photo by Places and Things. Places uses location data to group photos so you can see photos of a trip you made without needing to first creating an album. More impressive is the Things category which lets you search for photo of forests, food, stadiums, dancing and much more.

Sharing is impressively easy with Google Photos too.

To share a group of photos does not require you first to create an album. You simply need to select a group of photos and ask for a link. (And, selecting photos does not require incessant tapping; instead you can tap and hold and then drag to select a block of photos.)

On the Web app, click the share button at the top when you have a group of photo selected and click Get sharable link. On the iOS app, select your photos, tap the share button and then tap Copy Link to Clipboard. You will then be able to paste the link into an email, and your recipient will not need any special app or login to view your photos.

http://www.cnet.com/how-to/getting-started-with-google-photos/

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Siva May 31, 2015 #2

I have started using this app and it's just amazing. The collages, animations and videos it automatically create are awesome. I was able to upload around 15000 pictures and videos in a day. The 16MP and 1080p limit for unlimited storage is more than enough for most users I guess. Google has definitely done this right.

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