Google today said it has started rolling out early access to a new “Ask Photos” feature for its Google Photos app. Available to both iOS and Android users, the new Google Photos feature takes advantage of Google’s Gemini AI to provide new ways to search.
With Ask Photos, users can use natural language search terms to find specific memories or information in their images. Google says that Google Photos users can ask all sorts of questions to find content from their image libraries, with the feature able to search through all of a person’s Google Photos images to bring up relevant results. Some examples:
- What are the best photos from each national park I visited?
- Where did I camp last year?
- When do my tickets expire?
- What were the best things we saw on our trip?
- What did I eat at the hotel in [location]?
- What did I eat at the market in Thailand?
- What are the best photos from the birthday party?
- What themes have we had for family birthday parties?
Ask Photos is able to understand the context and subject of photos to provide answers to questions. With the last question listed above, for example, Ask Photos can see what decorations are in the background of an image or on a birthday cake to answer the query.
The feature can be used to curate the best images taken on a trip, saving editing time. It can also provide trip highlights, and suggest top pictures complete with captions to share on social media.
Google says that personal data in Google Photos isn’t used for ads, but some queries will be reviewed by humans to improve the feature. Data will not be linked to a Google Account for privacy protection purposes. Answers provided by Ask Photos, including photos and videos, are not reviewed by humans unless feedback is provided or in rare cases to address abuse or harm.
Ask Photos was already previewed at Google I/O, but it has now started rolling out, with Google providing early access to select iOS and Android Google Photos users. Those who want to try the feature can sign up for the waitlist on Google’s website.
Popular Stories
iPhone 16 Launch Month Is Here: Everything We Know
Apple has announced that on Monday, September 9 it will hold its annual fall event, which means we are just days away from the launch of the iPhone 16. Like the iPhone 15 series, this year’s lineup is expected to stick with four models – iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max – although there are plenty of design differences and new features to take into account. …
iOS 18 Coming Later This Month With These 8 New Features
iOS 18 has been in beta testing for nearly three months, and the software update will finally be released for all compatible iPhones soon. Apple should reveal iOS 18’s exact release date during its September 9 event, with the most likely possibility being Monday, September 16. Below, we have highlighted eight key new features included in iOS 18. Note that Apple Intelligence is not coming…
iPhone 16 Apple Silicone Cases Have No Cutout for New Capture Button
Apple is introducing a new camera-based “Capture” button on at least some iPhone 16 models this year, and a new rumor claims that Apple’s own silicone cases will have a design that is specially made so as not to impede the use of the capacitive button’s multiple functions. Several rumors have suggested that the iPhone 16 models are going to have an all-new button that’s designed to make it…
What Not to Expect at Apple Event on September 9: ‘It’s Glowtime’
Apple’s annual fall event takes place on Monday, September 9, when it is expected to unveil the new iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro lineup, and some new Apple Watch models. It may also make some additional new products available, but there are a handful of rumored upcoming devices that we don’t expect to make an appearance this month. To help set expectations ahead of Apple’s “It’s Glowtime”…
Apple Likely to Launch M4 Macs in November
Apple will likely announce new Mac models with M4-series chips in November, confidential information obtained by MacRumors claims. According to a reliable source familiar with the matter, Apple will release new Mac models in November 2024. While new Macs are usually released toward the end of the year, this is the first time a launch month has been singled out for the upcoming M4 Macs….
iOS 18 Adds These 6 New Features to CarPlay
Apple did not mention CarPlay when it unveiled iOS 18 in June, but the update includes a handful of new features for the in-car iPhone system. iOS 18 includes some changes to the Messages app, Settings app, and Siri on CarPlay. The update should be widely released later in September. Below, we recap CarPlay’s key new features on iOS 18. 1. Contact Photos in Messages App iOS 18 adds…
10 Reasons to Wait for Next Year’s iPhone 17
Apple’s iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models simultaneously, which is why we sometimes get rumored feature leaks so far ahead of launch. The iPhone 17 series is no different – already we have some idea of what to expect from Apple’s 2025 smartphone lineup. If you plan to skip…
