Google has redesigned its online photos storage app, Google Photos, with a simplified user interface, map view, memories, and logo. Google Photos is used by over a billion people around the world as a safe storage space to preserve as many memories as they like in form of pictures and videos. The app is particularly popular for those smartphone users who do not have much storage space on their devices to keep all pictures and videos.
As per the company’s official blog post, the changes are designed to enhance user experience and provide them with better management tools to keep their memories well organized.
“And that’s why today, we’re launching a redesigned Google Photos, focused on your memories, to help you find and relive your most treasured moments”.
A refreshed pinwheel logo, which was inspired by a childhood toy to represent memories, still encapsulates the spirit of the design in a more modern look.
Redesigned Google Photos app
Besides a new curvy Logo, the app has received a number of new features to enhance the users experience on the platform to easily view, organize and search for pictures/videos in new UI, relive precious moments via Memories, and Map views to see photos organized according to the locations they were captured on. We have listed down all the new features in detail.
New Simplified UI
Google Photos app home screen now has an easy to use three-tab structure: Photos, Search and Library.
- Photos tab is at the bottom left corner of the screen. All pictures and videos have larger thumbnails, auto-playing videos and reduced white space between pictures.
- Search is now a separate section in the middle of the toolbar at the bottom. Users will be able to quickly search for and find captured moments from their collections.
- Library tab features all albums in the app, and on the device, like favorites, archive, trash, camera, WhatsApp and others. Exclusively for users in United States, Canada and European Union countries, a Print Store will be available at the top of the Library interface. Users will be able to “purchase printed products” with their own photos.
Memories
The popular Memories section, which is visited by over 120 million people every month, is at the top of the Photos section. The placement of the feature is similar to Instagram and Facebook Stories.
These are all the changes made to this section:
- New types of Memories for users to view their photos compiled as best pictures, trips, closest friends, family, over the years, and last week’s highlights.
- Now Memories features automatic creations like animations, stylized photos, collages, movies and others. The previous “For You” tab is no longer available.
- Hide specific people or time periods feature will allow users to control who they view in Memories.
A Map View
A new interactive map view of all photos and videos is added to the Google Photos app. Placed in the Search screen, users will now be able to see and access content as per their location, global and nationwide.
“You can pinch and zoom around the globe to explore photos of your travels, see where you’ve taken the most photos around your hometown, or find that one photo from somewhere on your road trip across the country”, the official blog states.
For the map view to show images by location, users will have to enable location for their device camera, or manually type in the locations. Photos with location tags will be organized accordingly. For users who are concerned over privacy issues, they can easily disable Location History and Camera location from the Settings menu on their devices.
Google Photos is a free app available for iOS and Android devices. Existing users can enjoy the new features by updating the app to the latest version, and new users can download it from the App Store and Google Play.
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