Google are rolling out all the changes in yet another app today, this time Google Photos. The new UI changes makes some major changes such as removing the hamburger menu, which disappeared from Google Maps a few weeks ago, along with the search bar at the top.
The new header in Google Photos not only removes the search bar but also the hamburger menu and is replaced with a simple “Google Photos” header with “Memories” underneath followed by your most recent photos as before and thanks to Android Police we have screenshots of the new UI.
Of course the search functionality needs to go somewhere so has been moved to the bottom bar but that is not the only change to the bottom bar. The bottom bar also removes the Albums tab and is replaced by a Library tab. For some one who spends a lot of time searching photos it is not all that welcome but Google obviously would prefer you to use Google Photos some other way by making the search function less accessible.
Searching is also made more difficult with Google first offering suggestions for your search with the keyboard not opening automatically after hitting the search tab. The People and Pets previews are bigger — obviously that is what Google finds people search for most so have made that front and centre.
The search functionality is also broken down into categories such as screenshots (very handy for phone reviewers), selfies, videos, 360 degree videos, photoscan and motion photos along with a section for creations, either self-made or Google-made automatic creations.
The album tab is replaced by the Library tab that gains some of the functions that were in the hamburger menu previously such as device folders, the archive and trash. Manage your library is now in here as well — as you would expect.
At this stage the update has not rolled out to us here at Ausdroid with it being turned on via a server-side switch once again. Keep an eye out for the new UI landing on your device soon and let us know in the comments below your thoughts and if there is anything we missed above.
