Google Photos Now Makes You Edit Before Sharing, But There’s A Way To Disable It
Summary
- Google Photos has released the Quick Edit feature, allowing users to edit photos before sharing them.
- Users can disable the Quick Edit feature, which is a small but potentially frustrating tool for some.
- Recent Google Photos updates have received mixed reviews, with users expressing dissatisfaction over UI changes.
Another day, another Google Photos update that takes one step forward and two steps back. It feels like Google is constantly tweaking things that it really doesn’t need to tweak, sometimes all in the name of a more-uniformed brand and updated UI. That isn’t to say that everything Google updates, even in small ways, is bad, however; most of the time, Google’s approach to updating its suite of apps is welcomed. For instance, a recent update for Google Photos on Android can now give your old pics a whole new life with the Ultra HDR editing tool. It’s a small, but potentially big feature that will make your SDR photos look much more vibrant without taking up practically any more space. Another update for Photos in recent times is getting much less favorable reviews, and we’ve got a way to help combat your frustration.
Back in December, we first reported on Photos’ new Quick Edit feature that was supposed to make editing images before sharing much quicker — as the name suggests — and easier. However, before it was even unleashed to the masses, Google was already modifying the tool, adding an option to disable the Quick Edit screen entirely. That modified version has now been released, according to Android Authority, and most people should be seeing the tool pop up on their phones now. It’s set to “on” by default, but like we said in January, Google allows users to turn it off.
Google is nothing but consistent — for better or worse
We don’t know the numbers when it comes to how many people actually want to edit pictures before sharing them, but we would imagine that it’s not a high number, and it’s not an oft-occurring move. Additionally, it only pops up (if you leave it on) when sharing one picture, so there isn’t a batch editor before sharing. As is sometimes the case, we’re having trouble seeing the tool in full effect. There is supposed to be a gear icon that allows you to turn off the tool, but some of us at Android Police can’t see the icon. The touch target is there, and it works, but we just can’t see it. This is probably a small bug that will be quickly fixed, but it’s still annoying.
Back in March, we asked you what your thoughts were on recent changes in Google Photos, specifically the adjustment that shuffled around the Memories and Moments tabs. Overwhelmingly, your response was clear: No, you were not happy. Comments ranged from annoyances directed at shared albums not being in groups, to additional clicks being required, to the “dumbing down” of the UI. Hopefully, some upcoming changes, like the potential sharing of albums and memories via QR codes, will be smash hits from the jump.
