Starting today, Memories in Google Photos is getting a variety of cinematic changes that Google calls "the biggest update... since launch."
Memories can be seen as Google's answer to Snapchat stories; short videos made from images in your Photos account, though they don't disappear. For the update, the focus is on stimulating users' creativity by giving them tools to create more dynamic works with their own photos. The focus is more on creating videos and adding graphic art to images to make them stand out. Google will also make it easy to share user creations with friends and family without having to search through the Settings menu.
Since Memories is one of the most popular features of Google Photos (by the company's own admission) and it's been over a year since its last major update (opens in a new tab), these changes are long overdue.
slight redesign
The first batch of changes comes from Google tweaking how certain features work in Memories. You will find more videos present as "Photos will be automatically selected and cropped" snippets more often than downloaded files. These snippets will have a subtle zoom to make static images more dynamic. And in October, Google will "add instrumental music to select Memories." The entire music library is almost unheard of, save for a light sibilant tune and an ambient tune heard in some of the preview videos.
Cinematic Memories, an update to Cinematic Photos released in 2020 (opens in a new tab), will stitch together multiple still images to create a kind of fake video set to music. You'll see the camera pan over a subject to produce a 3D-like effect intended to simulate movement. The 2020 version was more of a subtle approach, but now it's more dynamic.
graphic flourishes
For the graphic art mentioned above, they will come via the new Styles feature. Several pieces of art will be available at launch, according to Google, that can be added to Memories, injecting a colorful flair into photos. Some of the designs were created by featured artists Shantell Martin (opens in a new tab) and Lisa Congdon (opens in a new tab), though they're only available for a limited time.
Sharing memories will be easier as a new share icon will appear in the list. All a user has to do is tap on the icon and select the recipient to send them to. This change will hit Android devices first before rolling out "soon" to Google Photos on iOS and web browsers.
The latest change is a new collage editing tool where you can collect your favorite images using drag and drop controls. Some of the collage layouts were also created by Shantell Martin and Lisa Congdon. In the editor you have access to various tools to adjust the brightness of the image or apply filters. Pixel owners and Google One members will have access to exclusive features like the ability to add Portrait Light and HDR to collages, as well as 30 unique layouts.
The collage editor will be available on Android and iOS devices, but it doesn't look like the web browser version of Google Photos will get it. We ask Google to clarify this. We will update this story if we receive a response.
Google Photos is one of the most used image storage services, but some are disappointed with its limited editing tools. If you're curious, we recommend checking out TechRadar's list of the best alternatives to Google Photos.