Google Photos now lets you choose how to animate images
What's the story
Google has updated its Photos app, giving users more control over the way they can turn still images into short videos. The latest update adds a text-based option to the existing "Photo to video" tool. This means users can now describe their desired outcome before the system creates a clip, instead of relying solely on preset options provided within the app.
User experience
How the new feature works
The new option is available in the Create section of the Google Photos app. After selecting "Photo to video" and an image, users are presented with three options. The first one lets them type a brief description of how they want the subjects in their photo to move. The second option applies subtle movement, like a slight change in facial expression or posture. The third one, called "I'm feeling lucky," generates a clip without user input and may include wider movements or visual elements.
Technology
Google's AI processes images before generating videos
Once users enter a text prompt and hit generate, Google's AI processes the image and generates a short video in seconds. The software analyzes objects in the photo before applying movement. For instance, if you ask for wind, it will apply motion to things like trees or clothes instead of static structures. This update aims to make photo editing more flexible without introducing complicated tools.
Unique feature
Google Photos' update sets it apart from other gallery apps
The addition of text prompts distinguishes Google Photos from other gallery apps, most of which rely on repetitive motion or simple depth effects. Instead of reusing existing frames, the tool generates new video frames based on the text input. This update also makes Google's image-to-video tool more competitive with other AI editors such as xAI's Grok.
User limitations
Age restrictions and availability
The new text prompt feature is only available to users aged 18 and above. However, this age restriction only applies to Google's image-to-video tool in Photos, and not the same capabilities in Gemini where text prompts have been available for a while. The generative AI features in Google Photos aren't yet available in all regions, and their exact functionality may differ by location.
Additional updates
What else is new?
Along with the text prompt feature, Google has also updated its Photos app to let users add audio by default in every video they create using the image-to-video feature. This makes videos ready for online publication without any additional editing. The tech giant has also announced a new Google Photos picker for Gmail, making it easier to share images and videos from your albums, collections, as well as shared albums over email.