Skip to main content

Google Photos will now suggest photos you might want to add to a shared album

google photo social app photos ios
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Facebook Moments may be available in Europe and Canada, but Google Photos isn’t going to take that sitting down, having launched a few new features of its own. In fact, it seems as though Google wants Photos to be a little more competitive with Moments, and has improved the social features of the app.

Perhaps the biggest change is that you can now finally add comments to individual photos and albums themselves that may have been shared with you, a feature that has sorely been missed in Photos up until now.

Recommended Videos

Of course, Photos is still missing a feature that other social platforms have — the ability to like a photo. So, album owners still won’t know if anyone really likes the photo of their pasta dish.

Another interesting new feature is “smart suggestions.” When an album is shared with you, Photos will now recommend photos that you might want to add to that album using data like photo dates and locations, assuming location services are enabled on your device. Obviously, you’ll only see these smart suggestions if Photos has some smart suggestions to make — if you don’t have any relevant photos, you won’t see any suggestions.

“No more searching for photos from last weekend’s birthday party and picking out the perfect ones — now you can add your best photos from the event in one tap,” said Google in a Google+ post.

In all honesty, the new features are great, but Google really is playing catch-up. iOS users have been able to share photos with friends since way back in 2012, and it took Google until December to do the same. Still, Google Photos has been a huge success, and it’s nice to see Google adding features that could be very useful to users.

The new features are available for the Google Photos iOS and Android apps, as well as on the web.

Christian de Looper
Christian de Looper is a long-time freelance writer who has covered every facet of the consumer tech and electric vehicle…
Now Playing is the best Google Pixel 9 feature you aren’t using
The Google Pixel 9 standing upright next to an Android statue.

The Google Pixel 9 is here, and if you haven't heard yet, it's excellent. Google did almost everything right this year — releasing phones with gorgeous hardware, excellent cameras, great battery life, and more.

All Pixel 9 phones also come with a host of new AI features. Some of them, like Add Me and Pixel Screenshots, are legitimately great. Others, like Pixel Studio, could have used more time in the oven.

Read more
Should you buy the Google Pixel Watch 2 now or wait for the Pixel Watch 3?
The Google Pixel Watch 2 resting on a stone fireplace.

Google is on track to reveal its next generation of Pixel products, with the new Pixel 9 and Pixel Watch 3 just on the horizon. Though the first Pixel Watch had a bit of a rough start, the Pixel Watch 2 proved to be a big improvement by being much faster and having better battery life than before.

But with the Google Pixel Watch 3, you may be asking yourself if you should pick up last year’s Pixel Watch 2 or wait for the new Pixel Watch 3. Let’s break it down.
Google Pixel Watch 2 vs. Pixel Watch 3: design and display

Read more
Searching through your Google Photos library may get a lot easier soon
OnePlus Open showing Google Photos on cover display.

Google Photos is continuing to refine its search and sorting features to make old photos easier to find. According to an APK teardown from Android Authority, Google is introducing new search filters to help you search your library for the most recent photos related to a search keyword or ones that closely match a keyword.

The filters seem to consist of two new types: Most Recent and Best Match. The Most Recent filter sorts things chronologically, with the most recent photos appearing at the top. The Best Match filter will bring up the photos that most closely match the search keyword. To some extent, Google Photos does this already, but the outcome can be hit-or-miss.

Read more