Google has a vast array of software properties, including Android, Cloud, Google Assistant, YouTube, and its advertising and search offerings.
Google Photos is making it easier for both Android and iOS users to share photos — even in print.
Google’s photo repository app has hit half a billion monthly active users, Anil Sabharwal, who helps run product at Google, said on Wednesday. And the company is now using its smart image searches and artificial intelligence to identify people in pictures, and automatically suggest the photo be shared with that person.
The announcement was part of Google ‘s annual developer conference, Google I/O, at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, California.
Soon the app will help users eliminate blurry photos and duplicates, and will release shared libraries. A shared library could be used to, for example, automatically recognize pictures of a user’s kids and share them with both parents.
Even iOS users that don’t have the app can be involved in the process — if a Google Photos album is shared with them, they can be notified via text message and add their own photos to the album.
“A home for all your photos really should include photos of you, too, ” Sabharwal said.
Sabharwal also confirmed reports that it will support printed photo books.
“Momentum we’ve seen in these two short years is remarkable, ” Sabharwal said. “And now there are big and different problems that need to be addressed.”
