The much awaited new Google Photos app has been announced, described as a great example of how we are going to change the way we think about photos on our devices. Anil Sabharwal announced the Google Photos app as a “Home for all your photos and videos”. Google Photos is the best way to “organise photos and bring moments to life”. It is really easy to share and save what matters with unrestricted access to any of your favourite apps you want to share with.
Google Photos will allow users to save a lifetime of photos and videos, with everything in one place. Jump to any moment in time, even to 1996 (if you have photos from way back). With a simple pinch out, you can zoom out from your photos to days, months & years. This is much like how Apple OS X Photos App works. This new navigation paradigm is really cool and brings a logical, fluid movement to the Google Photos app. If you want to find a road trip, you can pinch/zoom into it and go from the year, the month, week and day you took it in a few simple, logical steps. None of the photos need be stored locally, they are all stored in the cloud securely and can free up space on your phone. Other navigation functions include the swipe to the right > “Collections” movement. This shows a timeline of memorable moments and Collections you can create.
Within the Google Photos app, you can search by tapping the blue search button at the bottom right of the app to open a contextual search function that can search in your organised collections of people, places and things based on tags, locational information and content awareness. Collections are private and for users’ eyes only but collections can be shared with family or friends. Google Photos automatically organised the selfie Anil took on the stage and backed it up to the cloud immediately see for their new twitter handle https://twitter.com/googlephotos. Here’s their first tweet:
Hello world #io15 pic.twitter.com/tRWneHhE8K
— Google Photos (@googlephotos) May 28, 2015
In Google Photos, while you are viewing your photo, you can tap the pencil icon to make adjustments with Google’s new Google Photos editor. You can also create collages, animations, movies with soundtracks and more! Much like the Auto Awesome function, but better. If you want a quick slideshow video and you have no time, why not let Google Photos do it for you? Swipe left to go to Google Photos assistant and let Google magically organise, edit and compile your story. The Google Photos assistant gives you suggestions for new creations which you can accept and save, edit or discard. You can make specific edits including: theme, soundtrack, change and edit clips before you share it to your favourite apps.
There is a new gesture for multi selection in Google Photos. You can tap, hold and drag across the photos you’d like to select, instead of tapping every single photo, like a caveman. You can share photos and videos any way you want (Another nail/tongue in cheek comment, in Apple’s coffin). Tapping “Get a link” makes a link to selected photos so you can share with anyone any way you want (loving this feature). If you’re logged in to Google Photos on your device and you receive a Google Photos share link, you can copy those photos to your own Google Photos library, instantly. Sharing your memories with someone is made simple and they can keep them even if they didn’t create them. This is great for when you are on a trip together and you took different photos or photos of eachother and you can compile the library later on, no need for swapping memory sticks at the end of the trip.
With all this sharing and large libraries in the cloud you’d think you’ll run out of your online storage allowance? Nope, Google will let you store UNLIMITED high quality photos and videos for free! Photos will be saved up to 16MP and 1080p for videos. Not bad Google, not bad at all.
When is all of this available you ask? TODAY on Android, iOS and on the web. Visit http://photos.google.com for more on Google Photos when it’s live later today.
