Google is rolling out several exciting updates to its popular Photos app, aimed at improving video quality and giving users more control over their photo libraries.
One-Tap Video Enhancement
A new feature currently in testing will allow users to enhance videos with a single tap. Similar to the existing photo enhancement tool, this feature will automatically adjust brightness, contrast, saturation, and other qualities to improve video appearance. Unlike the Pixel 8 Pro's exclusive Video Boost, this enhancement processes videos locally on the device, making it potentially available to a wider range of users.
Key points:
- Works on existing videos, no special recording mode required
- Processes locally, no cloud upload needed
- Enhanced video saved as a copy, preserving the original
Decluttering Your Photo Feed
To address the issue of memes, GIFs, and other clutter overwhelming users' main photo feeds, Google Photos is introducing new options to customize what appears in the app's primary view.
A new Photos view section in the settings will offer four choices:
- Show all
- Hide clutter
- Show none
- Custom (currently limited to WhatsApp)
This feature will help users focus on their important memories without being distracted by less significant backed-up content.
Improved Storage Saver Clarity
Google is also making its Storage saver compression feature more transparent. The app will now clearly indicate which photos are not eligible for compression, such as those in JPEG Multi-Picture Format (.mpo) used for portrait mode and Ultra HDR images.
This change helps users better understand why some photos may be taking up more storage space than expected.
These updates demonstrate Google's commitment to improving the Photos experience, offering users more control over their libraries while enhancing the quality of their memories.