Update, June 30: Now widely rolling out to users.
What you need to know
- Google today announced a redesigned version of Photos coming to iOS and Android.
- Alongside a redesigned logo, the new mobile Photos will offer a streamlined interface with larger thumbnails for your photos as well as a new "Map view."
- The update is scheduled to roll out over the next week.
Google is launching a new Google Photos app this week, complete with a redesigned icon and a sleeker interface. Well, we say launching this week but expect the rollout to come much closer to next week, and even then not for everyone at once.
First of all, the main app interface is changing. Google is paring down the number of sections to three and binning the navigation drawer. You'll still see your images and Memories, but they'll be made larger, bolder, and much more in your face. Google says that 120 million people use Memories, so it'll be updating that feature to include more kinds of content. You'll now be able to surface pictures of close friends as well as trips rather than just the "X years ago" style of Memories we're used to.
Google will also be expanding the definition of Memories to include what used to go under the now-defunct "For You" tab. You'll find things like collages, styled photos, and animations now there. It's a bit of feature-creep, but one got the feeling the "For You" tab was mostly a transient hub than anything really necessary.
Google will also be adding a new "Map view" to Photos. Google already lets you search by location in Photos, now it'll let you pinch and pan around a map as you track your global trips. You're able to strip your location data from photos if you'd rather not do this in current builds of the Photos app, and Google will still give you that choice going forward.
Finally, and probably the first thing you'll notice, Google is redesigning the app logo. It's just a little rounder and a little more Google but, like the rest of the update, it's still recognizably Google Photos.
How to get your pictures out of Facebook and into Google Photos
Update, June 30 — Google Photos redesign now widely rolling out to everyone
Following the initial announcement on June 25, Google is now pushing the redesigned Photos experience to all users. If you've been anxiously waiting to get it on your phone, it should show up at any time now.
