Google Photos ‘Ask Photos’ feature rolls out in US

Ask Photos utilises Google Gemini model and can understand context of users' gallery
An undated image of Google Photos app. — Trusted Reviews
An undated image of Google Photos app. — Trusted Reviews

Google has started to roll out the AI-powered “Ask Photos” feature for Android and iOS users in the US that allows users to search within the photo gallery by providing details.

The tech giant announced this feature for the Google Photos app in May, during the Google I/O 2024 conference and is now enabling access to the feature at least for select users.

Google revealed that the feature utilises the Google Gemini model and can understand the context of the users gallery, meaning when someone searches for details such as important people in their life, hobbies, or favourite foods, it will provide information related to specific images.

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How 'Ask Photos' work?

With Ask Photos, users can type a query or description in the search bar and the app will provide with images that match the query.

However, once the tool is enabled, it will replace the basic magnifying search on the bottom search bar with a new magnifying glass now featuring the Gemini star symbol and prompted as “Ask.”

Tapping the button allows users to put in natural language queries, meant to mimic a conversation but users can also switch back to normal search any time.

Additionally, if the Ask Photos feature for any reason fails to find what the user is searching for, the tech giant assures that users will be able to provide additional clues to help with the search.

Here's how to access Ask Photos

Currently, the feature is available within Google Labs where the company tests new AI features in its products and those in the US who are part of it can access the tool. However, users can also sign up for the waitlist to request early access.