Google Photos Unlocks 5 Hidden Features You Missed

To transcribe handwritten text, follow these steps to unlock this capability:

1. Open the image of handwritten text in Google Photos
2. Long-press on the image
3. Select Ask from the popup menu
4. Type Transcribe this in the textbox
5. Wait for the AI response
6. Press and hold at the start of the transcribed text, drag to select, and tap Copy

Beyond transcription, Ask Photos can generate image descriptions, provide holiday destination insights, and answer follow-up questions about your photos.

VIDEO EDITING

Google Photos now functions as a capable CapCut alternative with robust video editing tools. Android users can add music, adjust audio levels, and replace original sound without leaving the app. This feature currently remains exclusive to Android devices.

Here is how to add music to your videos:

1. Launch Google Photos and open your video
2. Tap Edit
3. Scroll to the Music option at the bottom
4. Select music from available options or check On device for downloaded files
5. Tap the music to preview it
6. Hit Select to add it to the video
7. Drag the selection box to your preferred song section
8. Press the checkmark to save

To adjust audio balance, go to Volume and drag sliders for original sound or added music. Tap the mute icon to remove original audio entirely.

HIGHLIGHT VIDEO

The Highlight Video feature in the Create tab automates short-form video production using pre-built templates. Google Photos can automatically scan your library and select photos matching themes like locations, years, people, or activities such as sunsets or swimming.

Follow these steps to create a highlight video:

1. Open Google Photos and navigate to the Create tab
2. Select Highlight video
3. Browse templates and hit Use template
4. Choose photos and videos up to the template limit
5. Tap Next
6. Edit using tools like Resize, Adjust, Audio, Music, and Text
7. Press Save

Alternatively, search the Select content tab for themes like flowers or hug, and let Google Photos populate your video automatically.

STICKERS

Google Photos now lets users create custom stickers from photos by extracting prominent subjects without backgrounds. This useful iOS feature has now expanded to Android devices, enabling seamless sharing across messaging, social media, and search.

To create a sticker, follow these steps:

1. Open Google Photos and tap the image you want to convert
2. Touch and hold anywhere in the photo
3. Observe the shiny outline showing your sticker subject
4. Select Copy sticker
5. Launch your target app and paste normally

All created stickers appear in the Stickers album within Collections and sync automatically to the cloud.

SHARE ALBUMS

Google Photos enables album sharing through QR codes, eliminating the need for recipients to copy and paste lengthy links. This proves invaluable during family reunions, group outings, or corporate events where multiple people contribute photos.

Here is how to generate a shareable QR code:

1. Open Google Photos and tap the plus icon in the upper-right corner
2. Select Album under Create new
3. Type a title for your album
4. Hit Select photos and mark your content
5. Press Add
6. Open the created album and click the share icon
7. Tap Show QR Code
8. Hit Create link when prompted

Recipients can scan the code to view, comment, like, and contribute content to your album.

The 10-year anniversary brought brand new AI features to Google Photos, cementing its position beyond basic cloud storage. These five hidden capabilities demonstrate how thoroughly the app has transformed into a comprehensive creative and organizational platform for both Android and iOS users.