When the Pixel 10 lineup was introduced earlier this year, the phones came with a “conversational editing” feature within Google Photos. You could type or speak to AI about the edits to a photo you wanted and it would make them for you. Now the feature has shed its exclusivity and is rolling out to eligible Android phones.
The idea of asking AI to edit your photos may feel like a parlor trick, but it will enable more people to get what they want out of a photo without having to dive into individual photo editing tools. The new feature follows shortly after the rollout of the updated photo editor for Google Photos released in late August.
Below, we’ll go over what you’ll need to get started with conversational editing.
What makes you eligible?
Google says it’s currently rolling the feature out to eligible Android users. You need to:
- Be 18 or older
- Be located in the United States
- Have your Google Account language set to English (United States)
- Have Face Groups turned on
- Have location estimates enabled
Even if you meet all of the requirements, you may not see Ask Photos appear just yet. Google says the feature is not available in all regions yet.
What can you do with Conversational Editing?
The new feature allows anyone, no matter how savvy they are with a photo editor, to get the shot they want. Whether you’re looking to make minor adjustments or recreate the landscape of a photo, you can now Ask Photos to do it.
Here are a few types of edits or instructions you can give to Ask Photos.
- Specific Edits: “Increase the saturation by 100%” “Brighten the sky”
- Reimagine the scene: “Make the ground into a calm pond”
- Broad: “Make this photo look better”
Here are a few examples of conversational editing in action:
Prompt to Ask Photos: “Give the cat a top hat”
Prompt to Ask Photos: “Make the ground dark red”
Prompt to Ask Photos: “Turn the ground into a calm pond”
Google Photos settings to double-check
If you want to fine-tune Gemini’s reach in Google Photos, don’t forget to check your settings.
From the Google Photos app:
- Tap your profile photo
- Tap Photo settings
- Tap Gemini Features in Photos
If you don’t want Google viewing every query you’ve made to Ask Photos, you can turn this setting off by toggling “Allow us to access your queries” to off. Here, you can also choose what Gemini-powered features you want to take advantage of. You can disable Gemini completely in the Photos app, or individual features, like Ask Photos, Gemini-powered memories and Help me title. Anything you’ve told Photos to remember, like who is a friend, parent, sibling or partner can be managed in the Remember List.
