Google Photos is undeniably one of the most popular photo services, at least in terms of photo storage ones, and Google wants to keep it this way. Over time, the internet giant has added a large number of features to the service, including the ability to search photos based on what appears in them or where they were taken, to a built-in assistant that automatically creates collages, videos and artistic edits based on what photos and videos a user backs up. Today, though, Google appears to have released a couple of new features.
With the latest update, Google Photos now has the ability to form GIFs from any videos that are uploaded to the service, something that complements the previous feature of creating a small loop animation from a number of pictures and also adds to the current iOS experience that turns Live Photos into GIFs. The way Google does this is relatively simple. Its built-in assistant will now scan all videos uploaded in order to look for certain actions, such as jumping, smiling or waving, among others, and will then section that part of the video off in order to create a GIF that can be instantly shared through social networks, messaging or any other similar services.
As well as this relatively large update, Google has also included a couple of smaller changes in the update. The first one is aimed at getting users to take a look back at old photos that may interest them, such as photos taken with other people over the years. Another feature included in the update is a new highlight feature, through which the built-in assistant will occasionally show cards that feature the best photos from the past week, month or possibly year. On one last note, Google also included a small change in the update, in the form of suggesting which photos should be automatically rotated due to them being saved in the wrong position. With this change, it’s clear Google has been listening to customer feedback, as photos that are saved in a different position than the intended one is one of the most common problems when it comes to taking photos, so the update is sure to save users a lot of time by not having to manually rotate each photo.