"Ask Photos" appearing for some Google Photos users as a test

Ask Photos is an advanced AI-based feature for Google Photos. The tool is not only capable of finding photos but also capturing and showing information from your images. Now, a recent leak shows that the Gemini-powered “Ask Photos” tool for the Google Photos app has undergone some changes since its announcement.

It seems that some users are randomly getting an invitation to try a pre-release Ask Photos version. As reported by 9to5Google, a user received it on their Pixel 8 Pro recently. Google is not rolling out the feature yet, as it is not fully functional and even disappears shortly after. However, testing allows you to know how you can use the function. The report includes screenshots showing what the updated Ask Photos UI looks like.

This leak shows what the Gemini integration in Google Photos will look like

It seems like Google has been refining things since the Ask Photos announcement in mid-May. Originally, the feature had a dedicated tab in the Google Photos app. Now, Ask Photos appears as a highlighted button right next to the search box, inside the “Search” tab. The feature will also suggest the user give names to the different people detected in their photos to improve its performance.

After tapping on the Ask Photos button, a new screen will appear. The latter will show the Gemini logo, suggested questions, and the option to write your own custom question. When the user tried to use a custom question, the app returned an error message. It’s possible that using one of the suggested questions would have worked.

Be that as it may, it seems that there is work ahead. However, the fact that Google is already running these tests suggests that the feature rollout is not too far away. The company did not offer an ETA during the announcement, only saying that it would arrive “in the coming months.”

What can Ask Photos do?

The “Ask Photos” tool is the evolution of the classic Google Photos search tool. It uses the power of Google’s Gemini LLMs to take its search capabilities to a new level. “Ask Photos” will be able to understand complex requirements to find photos, streamlining the process. Google gave as an example the phrase “Show me the best photo from each national park I’ve visited.”

The tool will not be limited to photo searches. It can also find information inherently available in your photos according to what you require. For example, Google says you can use phrases like “What themes have we had for Lena’s birthday parties?” Other possibilities include showing specific data from a voucher or reminding you when you did something.