Google Photos Redesign Delivers Smarter Editing Tools and Creative AI on Android

Google has begun rolling out a major redesign of its Google Photos editor for Android, and the changes are aimed squarely at making the editing process easier, faster, and far more intuitive. While the old editor often buried features in menus that required extra taps, the new layout presents tools in a clean, carousel-style interface at the bottom of the screen, giving users a sense of control and accessibility that feels much closer to a professional editing suite.

After selecting a photo from your library and pressing the Edit button, you’ll immediately see six main editing categories: Auto, Actions, Markup, Filters, Lighting, and Color.

Each category expands into specialized tools designed for different types of adjustments. For example, Auto brings instant enhancements like AI-powered improvements and Dynamic fixes, while Actions includes powerful options like Crop, Magic Eraser, Move, Best Take, Portrait Blur, Pop, Sharpen, and Denoise. For users who prefer creative freedom, Markup allows pen and highlighter annotations, as well as adding text directly to an image. Filters and Sky styles live under the Filters tab, while Lighting and Color offer a deeper level of manual adjustment such as Ultra HDR, Portrait Light, contrast tweaks, vignette effects, saturation, warmth, tint, and even adjustments to specific tones like skin or blue hues.

Beyond the main carousel, Google has also refined the top-of-screen controls. Users will now find an Auto Frame button, aspect ratio presets, and simple tools for flipping and rotating images. At the very top corner, the X closes the editor, while Save and a three-dot feedback menu sit opposite for quick exporting or sending comments back to Google’s developers. Small design touches like these demonstrate Google’s effort to streamline the editing flow without cluttering the workspace.

Another standout feature is the context-aware editing powered by AI. Rather than simply tapping sliders, users can now circle, tap, or brush over a subject in the photo, such as a pet, a friend, or even a background object. Once highlighted, Google Photos suggests relevant options. A circled squirrel, for instance, can be erased entirely, repositioned within the shot, or even reimagined with AI to appear holding a baseball cap. This playful but powerful functionality hints at where mobile photo editing is heading – away from basic adjustments and toward intelligent, creative reworks guided by machine learning.

Currently, this redesigned editor is tied to version 7.44 of Google Photos for Android, and the update itself is delivered server-side. That means some users may not see the redesign right away. If it hasn’t appeared on your device, forcing the app to stop and restarting it through Settings > Apps > See all apps > Photos > Force Stop might help trigger the update sooner. iPhone users, meanwhile, can rest assured that the redesign won’t remain Android-exclusive forever. Google has already confirmed that the new editor will be coming to iOS devices in the near future, though no exact timeline has been provided.

In addition to the software changes, Google teased something completely different: the upcoming release of Iconic Phones: Revolution at Your Fingertips. This coffee table book, arriving later this fall, promises to capture the story of the smartphone revolution through iconic handsets that shaped the way we live and communicate today. According to Google, the book is designed as a nostalgic yet educational look back at the milestones of mobile technology, making it a must-have for enthusiasts and collectors alike. Early bird discounts will be available for those who sign up in advance, further driving anticipation among tech fans.

Between the cutting-edge new photo editor and the nostalgia-driven book project, Google is positioning itself not just as a software and hardware innovator, but also as a cultural storyteller that recognizes the importance of technology in our daily lives. Whether you’re perfecting your latest selfie or flipping through pages filled with legendary devices of the past, Google is making sure that the story of our digital era is both easy to edit and worth remembering.