A focus has been placed on editing tools that change how users approach group photos and shared experiences. Those AI tools would be great if they allowed users to make adjustments after they’d already been shared. It seems that is exactly what Google Photos will now allow users to do.
The need to edit photos after they’ve been added to a shared album doesn’t end at selfies needing a Best Face adjustment. Sometimes, making adjustments to a shared image is key if you second-guess your editing style, or if you want to erase a part of it with Magic Eraser. Generally, once an image is added to a shared album, it’s no longer up for changes.
Google Photos announced a change allowing users to edit images and videos in a shared album. This means Google Photos’ general and AI tools can be used to change the photo’s appearance or contents once it’s been sent or shared. The photo must be owned by the one making the changes, meaning users in a shared album can not edit someone else’s image.
It appears these edits either need to be made from the album page or they need to be saved to the original image, and not as a copy. If users hit “save as copy,” the edits will not be reflected in the shared album. Doing so would be necessary if one wanted to make a private edit.
Google notes that the change is already live on the web, iPhone, and iPad, with no mention of Android. The feature has not yet appeared on our Android devices.
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