Google Photos Rolls Out AI-Powered 'Ask Photos' Feature, Here's What It Will Do

Once Ask Photos is activated, users will receive prompts to help them understand how the feature operates.

The timeline for a broader rollout of the feature remains uncertain.

Source : Unsplash/Mitchell Luo, Rubaitul Azad

Google has begun rolling out its new "Ask Photos" feature to a select group of users in the U.S. Powered by the company's Gemini AI models, this update is being deployed via a server-side update, making it accessible regardless of the user's Google Photos app version. The feature was first introduced during the Google I/O 2024 event in May, and a waitlist for early access was made available in September.

The "Ask Photos" feature allows users to ask questions in their normal day-to-day language directly within the app. Leveraging AI, it analyzes photo content to provide relevant answers, displaying the best-matching images. Users can search for specific people, pets, and other details, making it easier to navigate through their photo collections.

Google Photos App's Ask Photos Feature Availability

When the feature is activated for an account, it will be usable across all devices, including both Android and iOS applications. As reported by 9to5Google, it will be introduced as a new tab at the bottom of the Photos app, taking the place of the existing "Search" tab. While traditional search options will still be accessible, they will only be available after utilizing the Ask Photos feature first.

The timeline for a broader rollout of the feature remains uncertain. However, users who have registered for the waitlist might soon notice the Ask Photos functionality on their devices.

How Does The New Feature Work?

Once Ask Photos is activated, users will receive prompts to help them understand how the feature operates, what data it needs access to, and to confirm specific details, such as ensuring the correct names are linked to individuals.

Additionally, users will be required to define relationships for both people and pets, organized by their frequency of appearance in the library. According to 9to5Google, the feature is said to perform better when answering inquiries related to individuals and locations, rather than events or objects.