Google is betting big on AI and is pulling out all the stops when it comes to integrating it with its current and future offerings. An excellent example of this is the planned update to the Google Photos app, which is already quite popular thanks to its ease of storing and sharing photos.
This app is getting several new AI-powered tools, some of which have so far been exclusive to the Pixel 8 phones. These include Portrait Light, Photo UnBlur, Magic Eraser, and more, which allow you to edit photos easily without needing any professional-level skills.
Google recently announced at the Google Cloud Next customer conference, which has been bestowing many great announcements, that these tools will soon be available to all Android and iOS users. So most modern devices should be getting them. As for what exactly these features are and when they are coming to your device, you can find that out here.
AI-Powered Editing Features Coming to Google Photos Users
Google Photos has had a few AI-powered features for some time, though these were only available to Pixel 8 phone series owners. These features, which will now be available for other Android and iOS devices, include the following:
Magic Editor
The Magic Editor AI tool was launched last year with the release of the Pixel 8 phones. It relies on generative AI and lets you edit photos in detail just by performing simple actions. You can edit specific parts of a photo, such as repositioning an object, changing the background or sky color, or even filling in gaps in a photo using the feature.
Magic Editor will be available on all Android and iOS devices from May 15th. However, devices other than Pixel phones and tablets will have a limit of ten free Magic Editor saves each month. If you want more saves, you will need to have a Pixel device or subscribe to the Premium Google One plan.
Magic Eraser
Magic Eraser is an extremely useful AI tool built into Google Photos that lets you remove unwanted objects, like photo bombers, from photos effortlessly. Besides this, its Camouflage feature can help change the color of objects in your photos so they blend in properly.
Using the Magic Eraser feature can help you get very impressive results when editing photos, and it is coming to Google One subscribers and on iOS and Android. Pixel users will get it as a free upgrade, along with exclusive collage styles and a new HDR video effect.
Additionally, Google One users will get free shipping on print orders in the EU, US, UK, and Canada. Magic Eraser is rolling out to all Google One subscribers, and others can try it out by opting in for the free trial of the subscription service.
Photo Unblur
As the name suggests, Photo Unblur allows you to fix blurry pictures and make them sharper and clearer. This is quite handy and will also be available starting May 15th. What's more, you do not need any subscription to use this AI feature.
Portrait Light
Portrait Light is an AI feature that lets you adjust the lighting on portrait photos to make them look more attractive. You can control the brightness and position of the lighting on photos after taking them. This feature will be available to all Google Photos users from May 15th as well.
Other Features Coming to Google Photos
Google explicitly mentioned that the above features will be available soon. Besides these, there are a few more that we expect to arrive on both Android and iOS devices.
Sky Suggestions
With the Sky Suggestions feature, you can change the appearance of the sky in your photos to make it look more appealing. This is a great tool for areas where hazy skies are quite common and can adversely affect your shots.
Color Pop
Color pop is not a new feature but a very popular one. It turns your photos black and white and only retains a single color from the image. You can use it to make the subject or anything else stand out.
Portrait Blur
This tool lets you add a blur effect to the background in your portrait shots without using professional photography tools. Thus, it can make your photos look like they have been taken by a professional photographer.
Video Effects
A variety of video effects will also become available for Google Photos users, allowing them to enhance their videos easily.
Cinematic Photos
Google Photos will soon let you create cinematic photos like Apple by adding a dramatic motion blur effect to them.
Minimum Requirements for Getting Google Photos' AI Features
According to Google, the AI features in Google Photos coming to Android and iOS devices will be available for everyone using the app. That said, there are a few hardware requirements your device should meet to be compatible.
It should have at least 3GB of RAM and should be running on Android version 8 or later, or iOS 15 or later. These requirements are quite easy to meet, so we expect most people to be able to enjoy these features when they become available.
Thanks to the AI features Google Photos will soon be getting, the photo storage app will also acquire some much-needed editing features. While some of these require a Google One subscription, that is not the case for all of them. And even if you do not have a Google One plan, you can try out the features by signing up for the free trial.
Keep in mind that when the features start rolling out on May 15th, they will still take time to reach all devices. So, you may need to wait for a while before they show up on your device.
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