Google Photos could soon fix acne better than your skincare routine

Removing blemishes may just be a tap away, and pimples will vanish, too.

By Pranob Mehrotra Published October 14, 2025

Google Photos on the Pixel 9a. — Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

What’s happened? Google Photos appears to be working on a new AI photo editing tool that could help users easily retouch faces to remove blemishes.

A teardown of Google Photos version 7.49 has surfaced evidence of a new “Face retouch” feature currently in development.
According to strings of code first spotted by Android Authority, this tool could allow users to correct or enhance facial attributes in photos.
Keywords in the code suggest that the tool may help users fix acne, dark circles, eye bags, teeth, and other blemishes.
While we haven’t seen it in action yet, the tool could work like the app’s Magic Editor feature, letting users highlight blemishes they want fixed.

Why is this important? Users currently have to rely on third-party apps to retouch faces in photos. This tool could fill that gap in Google Photos’ already impressive arsenal of image editing tools and offer users a more well-rounded experience.

Although Google’s Camera app already has Face retouching capabilities, it offers limited functionality, only works for portrait images and selfies, and is exclusive to Pixel devices.
Users have to rely on third-party apps like FaceApp for more comprehensive edits.
Baking a Face retouch option right into Google Photos will eliminate the need for a separate app, give more users access to the functionality, and allow users to edit any photo retroactively.

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Why should I care? With a built-in face retouch feature, Google Photos could help you level up your selfies with minimal effort.

In addition to saving you time and effort on retouching selfies, the tool could also eliminate the need for a separate app.
Thanks to Google Photos’ broad user base, the functionality will become accessible to a wider audience.

OK, what’s next? Since the feature is still in early stages of development, it may be a while before it lands on your phone. Once it does, we’re eager to see how well it performs in real-world use. For Face retouch to be a true game-changer, the edits will need to be flexible, letting users toggle adjustments, control intensity, and maintain a natural look.

Pranob Mehrotra

News Writer

Pranob is a seasoned tech journalist with over eight years of experience covering consumer technology. His work has been…

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