Google Photos might automatically shoot your friends a quick weekly update
Weekly recaps of your pictures could soon be sent to your besties like clockwork.
What you need to know
- Google might be working on a new feature, "My Week," for creating and sharing weekly highlights with your chosen contacts in Photos.
- "My Week" will supposedly be your go-to spot for weekly updates, hanging out alongside Memories in your contacts' Photos apps.
- Google Photos could also suggest photos for your real-time album until your adventure wraps up to create a visual story on the fly.
Google might be developing a new feature in Photos that will presumably create weekly photo and video highlights to share with chosen contacts.
Android Authority claims to have unearthed some code strings in the newest version of the Google Photos app for Android, suggesting a work-in-progress feature named "My Week." This seems to be an upgrade to Memories, enabling users to share their week's photos with friends and family.
Judging by the code snippets, the feature will presumably serve up your weekly updates right alongside Memories in your contacts' Photos apps. It's likely to serve as a space where you can toss in pictures from your week for your invited friends to check out.
<string name=”photos_memories_my_week_create_description”>Keep loved ones close with a photo journal of life’s little and big highlights</string>
<string name=”photos_memories_my_week_create_header”>Tell the story of your week with My Week</string>
<string name=”photos_memories_my_week_create_setup_button”>Set up My Week</string>
<string name=”photos_memories_my_week_picker_description”>Invitees will get a memory in the Google Photos app to see each week with photos you pick.</string>
Your contacts are supposed to catch a glimpse of these photos and clips as Memories. That said, we're not sure if these will pop up in the Memories tab or just casually hover on top of the grid view in their photo gallery. It's a bit of a mystery for now.
Memories are slideshows Google whips up from your photos and videos. They capture your celebrations, hangouts, and, basically, any cool life moments. Even if your photo gallery is a chaotic mess, Google helps you relive those memories.
You can share them too, and as a bonus, you have the power to exclude certain people and dates. However, these slideshows are only created whenever Google feels like it. But if this new feature drops, we might be looking at Memories popping up more often.
Furthermore, Google seems to be cooking up something called "real-time albums," a snazzy way to instantly share loads of pictures during an event or trip.
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According to TheSpAndroid, when you create a real-time album and start snapping away, Google Photos jumps in, suggesting photos to toss into the mix until your travel wraps up.
Google's obviously making album-curation a breeze by tossing in automatic suggestions for the best photos. However, these features are still in the testing lab. There are no details yet on when or if they'll make it to a public release.
Jay Bonggolto always keeps a nose for news. He has been writing about consumer tech and apps for as long as he can remember, and he has used a variety of Android phones since falling in love with Jelly Bean. Send him a direct message via Twitter or LinkedIn.