Google Photos will get better inking, captions and account management soon

Google Photos grid view
Google Photos grid view (Image credit: Ara Wagoner / Android Central)

What you need to know

  • Google's engineers are working on adding support for inking and captions for its Photos application.
  • The app will likely also feature an account switcher in the search bar soon.
  • The changes were discovered thanks to prolific leaker Jane Manchun Wong.

Google Photos is soon going to get a nifty few features aimed at making editing and sharing your photos more fun and interactive.

Reverse-engineered code for the company's gallery and image backup app shows drawing and captioning your pictures will soon be possible from within the app (via Jane Manchun Wong). The images shared by Wong show a relatively sparse (compared to some other applications) drawing experience, with a selection of seven pen colors. It's not entirely apparent if Google will allow you to modify the stroke width, based on the images.

You can add a text overlay to images as well, presumably with the same options for color choice.

There might apparently also be a new account switcher integrated directly into the search bar at the top of the app à la Gmail. That'll save you the trouble of having to pull out the hamburger menu from the left edge to do the same.

The company has constantly been adding new features to the app in recent months. You can now create Instagram-like stories — dubbed 'Memories' by Google — from within the app and, through the power of AI, can also search for text within your images. Perhaps the most audacious of the bunch, Google is testing a feature that will automatically re-color black and white photos, though the results are still far from perfect.

How does Google's new Gallery Go compare to Google Photos?

Muhammad Jarir Kanji
Read more
Google Photos logo on mobile screen
Google Photos might bring a fast, easy way to see the best Memories
Google Photos library tab showing its logo above the favorites and utilities buttons
Google Photos gives testers more agency with its slight 'Ask Photos' UI redesign
SynthID AI safety features announced
Google Photos will soon watermark Magic Editor creations with SynthID
Google Photos library tab showing its logo above the favorites and utilities buttons
Partner Sharing support for third-party app images returns to Google Photos
Google Gemini Image Query on Google Pixel 9 Pro XL
Gemini could soon allow you to upload multiple images in a single prompt
Google Photos app on a Pixel 4a held in one hand outdoors.
Google Photos on Android gets an 'undo backup' option to help you free up cloud space
Latest in Apps & Software
Top Charts in the Play Store on the Galaxy S25 Ultra
Google Play Store will get more tools to protect users from scammy apps
Google Gemini Image Query on Google Pixel 9 Pro XL
Gemini could soon allow you to upload multiple images in a single prompt
Google Maps on Android Auto
Gemini could soon replace Google Assistant in Android Auto 14.0
Gemini 2.5 Pro graphics and benchmark results.
Gemini 2.5 Pro is Google's latest AI model with thinking and multimodality built-in
View of the lock screen on the Galaxy S25 Ultra
Samsung wants third-party apps to be compatible with Now Bar
Google's Project Astra lets testers point their cameras at items within its app to receive information about it.
Google is rolling out video and screen sharing support for Gemini Live
Latest in News
Top Charts in the Play Store on the Galaxy S25 Ultra
Google Play Store will get more tools to protect users from scammy apps
Google Gemini Image Query on Google Pixel 9 Pro XL
Gemini could soon allow you to upload multiple images in a single prompt
Google Maps on Android Auto
Gemini could soon replace Google Assistant in Android Auto 14.0
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 on cobblestone road
One UI 7 Beta 3 for the Galaxy Z Flip 6, Fold 6 brings two notable AI additions
Gemini 2.5 Pro graphics and benchmark results.
Gemini 2.5 Pro is Google's latest AI model with thinking and multimodality built-in
Nothing Phone 3a Pro
Nothing OS 3.1 update lets Phone 3a, 3a Pro users snap and save to Essential Spaces