Google is adding some much-needed controls to help keep your Google Photos library tidy
Google is rolling out a much-needed update to the Google Photos photo grid that will help users organize their libraries and hide away clutter.
February 7 update below: Google adds new tools to help spot images that have been manipulated with AI tools.
According to a report from 9To5Google and others, some users are already receiving the new options, announced via a pop-up that read, “New! Keep your Photos view free of clutter from other apps. Hide all photos from other photo and social media apps or just the clutter.”
After Google has enabled the feature on your account, you’ll be able to access a new “Photos View” settings page, which expands on the current “Personalize your grid” options with four new settings, the first three of which you can toggle on or off:
- Show content from other apps
- Only show backed-up content
- Hide clutter from other apps
The second option, “Only show backed-up content,” lets you see content from other apps as long as they have been backed up to Google Photos, or are waiting to be backed up.
Selecting “Hide clutter from other apps” prevents content such as screenshots, GIFs and memes from appearing in your photo grid even if they have been backed up to Google Photos.
A fourth option, “Customize by app,” lets you set up exceptions to these clutter rules so you can continue to see content from your favorite apps. For example, if you want to keep images from other apps out of your Google Photos library but continue to see pictures saved from Instagram or WhatsApp, you can make exceptions for just those apps.
Google adds new decluttering options to the Google Photos library
Google Photos Library — Google is continually updating the app
These new decluttering features appear to be a more refined version of the unreleased “Hide Clutter” function Google tested previously, adding more nuanced control for the user. Google has also been testing the ability to create Photo Stacks manually, giving users even more control over how they organize their photo libraries.
If you don’t see the new decluttering option, update your Google Photos app. On Android, the feature seems to require version 7.14 or later. However, I have version 7.15 installed and don’t yet have it, so you may have to wait for Google to enable it on your account.
February 7 update: Google Photos is gaining another important new feature in the form of increased protection against potentially misleading AI-manipulated photos.
Starting now, Google will be adding invisible watermarks to images that have been edited on a Pixel using Magic Editor’s Reimagine feature that lets users change any element in an image by issuing text prompts.
The new information will show up in the AI Info section that appears when swiping up on an image in Google Photos.
The feature should make it easier for users to distinguish real photos from AI-powered manipulations, which will be especially useful as Reimagined photos continue to become more realistic.
See my article all about the new changes if you want to know more.
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