Google Photos adds toggle for classic search and AI Ask Photos
▼ Summary
– Google Photos has rolled out a “classic search” toggle for Ask Photos, allowing users to switch between standard and AI-powered search results.
– The toggle appears at the top of the results page, with classic search on the left and Ask Photos on the right.
– The toggle can remain set to classic search for simple queries, but switches to Ask Photos for complex questions and stays there until manually toggled back.
– For users with Ask Photos enabled, the app automatically decides which search mode to use, and users can toggle between results.
– For users without Ask Photos enabled, a toggle may appear to encourage them to opt in, leading to an onboarding flow.
Google Photos has introduced a new toggle that lets users switch between classic search and the AI-powered Ask Photos feature, delivering a major quality-of-life improvement for the app.
First teased by Google back in March, the feature is now fully available. According to a recent community post, “You can now seamlessly integrate both classic and Ask Photos search experiences which makes it easier to shift between them based on your query.”
When Ask Photos is enabled, the search results page now displays a toggle at the top of the screen. The left side defaults to regular search, while the right side activates the AI offering. In early testing, this toggle stays on classic search for simple, single-word queries. But if you ask something more complex, like “what’s my license plate?”, the app automatically switches to Ask Photos and remains there until you manually toggle back.
The update also changes how Google presents the toggle to users who haven’t yet enabled Ask Photos, encouraging them to try the AI-powered experience. For those who have turned it on, the app decides whether your search is best handled by Ask Photos or classic search, and you can switch between results at the top of the screen. For users who haven’t opted in, standard searches still work as usual, but a toggle may appear at the top of the results to enable Ask Photos, leading to an onboarding and opt-in flow.
The rollout is now live on Google Photos for Android and iOS today.
(Source: 9to5google.com)
