Google Photos updates one of its coolest features in time for the holidays

What you need to know

• Google puts its latest Photos features on blast in time for the holidays.
• Google's Cinematic Photos are being improved using Machine Learning to fill in the background.
• Google also highlights its new widget and the latest update to Memories.

With the holidays right around the corner, Google is taking a moment to highlight the latest updates and features arriving on the Google Photos app, some of which began rolling out on the best Android phones with the latest Android feature drop last week.

One of the most notable updates is to the Cinematic photos that was introduced around this time last year. This feature gives otherwise still images more depth and movement so that the most important parts pop out at the viewer.

Now, Google is upgrading them so that machine learning fills in more of the background behind the subject. This should make the end-result much cleaner than before and allow more movement in the image. It's undoubtedly similar to what Google uses for Magic Eraser, but not as dramatic.

Google is also highlighting its new People & Pets widget that started rolling out, putting those you care about most front and center on your home screen. And with the latest change to Memories, Google Photos is now grouping photos based on major events like birthdays and holidays so you can have them in one easily viewable carousel.

Lastly, Google is reminding users that not only can they visit their memories from smart displays like the Nest Hub (2nd Gen), but they can also edit people and pets out of their memories so that Google Photos will only show them the moments they want to see.