Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Google Photos on the web is experimenting with a “more powerful search.”
- Users can now use phrases and ideas for prompts to find photos.
- It appears the update has yet to make its way to Android.
One of the most useful tools in Google Photos is getting an upgrade. And that upgrade will make it easier for you to find the specific photos you’re looking for.
As discovered by 9to5Google, some users are seeing a new blue text bubble underneath the search bar in Google Photos on the web. Asking users to “Try a more powerful search,” it appears that Google is introducing a more powerful version of its search bar.
Search will now allow users to submit more complex prompts like phrases and ideas. A few examples that were given include “colorful sunset,” “peaceful garden,” and “Cinderella.”
Additionally, if you’ve previously tagged faces, you can combine these prompts with those names to find pictures of those people at certain locations. For example, typing in “Dave on a beach” will bring up any image that’s relevant to your query.
It appears that when you use these complex prompts, Google Photos will show you a “Most relevant to your search” section. This section sorts the image by level of relevance rather than by date.
At the moment, it seems the upgrade has only been applied to the web version of Google Photos. If you go into your phone, open up Google Photos, and submit a complex prompt, you’ll receive zero results.
According to a statement provided by a Google spokesperson, the search bar upgrade appears to be an “experiment.” It’s likely Google wants to test the feature out before expanding it to mobile. But we’ll just have to wait and see if it eventually finds its way to Android.
