Google Photos best AI editing features coming to all phones but there's a catch

At least three generative AI photo editing tools of Google Photos are coming to more users, but before you get excited, there are some conditions.

Published: Apr 11, 2024, 09:21 AM IST

Story Highlights

Google Photos' AI editing tools are coming to more users.
They include Magic Editor, Magic Eraser, and Photo Unblur.
The services will be available from May 15.

Google announced that its best photo-editing features in Google Photos will be available to everyone. These are Magic Editor, Magic Eraser and Photo Unblur, all of which have been available to Pixel users for free and non-Pixel users as part of the Google One subscription. However, Google Photos will remove the paywall for non-Pixel users after May 15.

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Both Magic Eraser and Photo Unblur are Google’s AI photo editing tools, which have been available for quite some time. These were the first tools of their kind and have inspired other OEMs to offer similar features in their photo gallery apps. The third Magic Editor is the most recent one, debuting as one of the most important features on last year’s Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro.

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Who will get the new Google Photos features?

Google usually offers headline features to new Pixel devices exclusively for six months before rolling them out to older Pixel models. However, the latest announcement is a treat for every Android user, irrespective of the phone they have. Google is expanding all three AI photo-editing tools to not just old Pixel users, but also to anyone whose smartphone supports Google Photos and meets minimum hardware requirements for the new features to work properly. That means Google Photos users on any Android or iOS device can access the AI features.

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But there is a catch.

Not everything’s free

Even though Google will make Magic Editor free to use by anyone with the Google Photos app on their phone, it is going to continue offering privileges to Pixel owners and Google One subscribers. They will continue to have unlimited access to this AI feature all the time. Everyone else, however, will have a monthly cap. Google has mentioned that non-Pixel users without a Google One subscription can save up to 10 edited photos a month.

The Magic Eraser and Photo Unblur features, however, will be free for all Google Photos users without any monthly caps. Other generative AI features such as Best Take and Audio Magic Eraser are not a part of the announcement and will remain exclusive to the Pixel 8 series, for now.