Google Photos To Soon Add Long-Awaited “Flip” or “Mirror” Feature for Photos and Videos

Highlights

  • Google Photos is adding a “Flip” or “Mirror” option for photos and videos
  • Not immediately available to all users.
  • Will likely be under the “Crop” section in the Google Photos app.
  • Users would be able to use the feature without losing the original photo or video.
  • The feature is rolling out via a server-side update.
New Flip and Mirror features coming to Google Photos. (Photo by Rubaitul Azad on Unsplash)

Don’t we all feel thrilled when our favourite apps add the most basic feature after years? Well, it is that time again. Reports say Google Photos is getting the “Flip” or “Mirror” feature for photos and videos, finally!

Google Photos is probably one of the biggest gallery apps on Android. While its popularity can’t be questioned, it has been notoriously lacking features that are very common in third-party photo and video editing apps for ages.

One such surprisingly absent feature from Google Photos is the ability to flip or mirror photos and videos horizontally.

Since now Google has been focused on adding AI-powered tools, it appears the tech company finally decided to add these simplest features.

The Flip and Mirror feature for photos and videos has been available in many apps for a long time including Samsung Gallery.

Demo of feature in the Google Photos app (Screenshot Credit – 9to5Google)
Demo of the new “Flip or Mirror” feature in Googe Photos app. (Screenshot Credit – 9to5Google)

A Reddit thread on the Google Pixel subreddit highlighted the new feature in a post. Later, the features were also spotted by a Telegram user (via Mishaal Rahman).

Reddit post highlighting the new features in the Google Photos app.

As per reports, the new “Flip” or “Mirror” option will be available under the “Crop” section of the app. This section currently only includes options to rotate, resize, scale, and crop content.

Now, with the flip feature, users would be able to easily mirror their photos and videos. It will also allow them to save a copy of the original photo or video as the edit is non-destructive.

The feature, however, might not be useful for everyone. The tool only allows for horizontal mirroring. So, users will have to rotate the photo or video manually to be able to flip it vertically.

Moreover, the feature may not be available for all users immediately. Reports believe it is currently available to only a handful of users and most may not get it even after updating the app to the latest version.

The rollout seems to be a server-side update. This means it could take some time to reach all devices.

In case you are not getting the feature in your Google App now, we suggest you wait as it’s likely coming soon.

FAQs

What new feature is Google Photos adding?

Google Photos is adding a “Flip” or “Mirror” option for photos and videos, allowing horizontal mirroring.

Where can users find the new flip feature in Google Photos?

Although will not be immediately available to all users, the new flip and mirror features are rumoured to be in the “Crop” section of the app.

Will the flip feature be available to all users immediately?

No, the rollout is gradual via a server-side update, so it may take some time to appear for all users.

How to use the feature Google Photos Flip ?

To use the image flipping feature, open the photo you want to edit in Google Photos and tap on the “Edit” button.
Look for the “Flip” option within the crop tools.
Tapping on this will instantly mirror the image horizontally.

What is the Google Ask Photos Feature ?

Google initially announced the Ask Photos feature for Google Photos at its annual I/O 2024 developer conference in May.
Google has started rolling out the feature to users in the US. The Ask Photos feature is available on both Android and iOS.

What does Google say about Google Ask Photos Feature ?

“Today, early access to Ask Photos is rolling out to select U.S. users as part of Google Labs. This experimental experience is a step beyond our improved search experience. Using the latest Gemini models, Ask Photos can understand the context of your photo gallery — like the most important people in your life, hobbies or favorite foods — and pull out relevant details to help you find specific memories and uncover information about your life,” said the company in a blog post.

Does Google Photos editing suite need more non-AI features ?

Google Photos doesn’t provide the option to batch edit pictures or create custom presets to quickly apply across multiple images.
There is no lasso tool for making targeted edits to specific areas of an image.
Google has announced Ask Photos in Google Photos to select Labs users for an improved search experience.

The AI tools by google are amazing though .

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