It makes something out of nothing.Īnd of course, there are your basic image-editing tools and sharing features. My phone’s photo roll is packed with boring sequences from product announcements and trade shows that I rarely look at, but Google Photos made them compelling by cobbling them together. In the “Assistant” tab, the app compiles animated GIFs and collages automatically from photos it senses are related-either from a trip, a group of people, or a string of images captured in a row. Landmark-detection software also helps identify some locations in images, according to Sabharwal.Īnother feature that requires you to upload images helps make better use of your throwaway shots. If a user has their location history turned on, Google Photos can also use past locations to identify where you were when a photo was taken. If an image has been geotagged, it'll use EXIF data to pinpoint its location. The computer-vision tech isn't the only thing driving the search results, Sabharwal says. we’ve applied it very privately for your eyes only.' So we’ve essentially taken that technology and all of the capabilities that Google has built, and it’s a really big investment area for us. 'here is an image I have, I want images that are similar to this one,' we can do some amazing computer vision on that. 'You can see this today, even on Google image search. 'It’s powered by all the computer vision capabilities that Google has built up over the past several years,' says Sabharwal. is destined to get better, and it’s already a godsend for finding one particular photo in a sea of thousands within seconds. So while the search isn’t perfect, it’s still pretty magical. It uses object recognition instead of tags to find results. The search function is incredible, but it's also not perfect. But the new photo service's organizational powers, search capabilities, and sync/backup features add up to an essential download. For starters, you need to be OK with storing all your photos in the cloud to get the most of it. While the emancipation of Google Photos is great news, the app has a few tradeoffs. In other words, there's no Google+ tie-in needed. Google+ is still one entry point option-if you select “Photos” on your Google+ profile, you get your Google Photos collection-but you can manage your pics from the standalone apps and at.

Your photos remain private unless you want to post or share them. Though Google Photos is a brand-new product, it stills shares its DNA with Google+’s photo services. No longer: Now, Google Photos is available for Android, iOS, and via the Web, and you won't have to hide your images inside that long-dormant G+ account. The service has long wanted to be the ultimate photo-management app, but it's been trapped-by Google+. Yesterday, Google finally freed Google Photos.

Are photos in amazon photo app private