Nearly a year after introducing its Ask Photos feature at the I/O developer conference in May 2024, Google has provided new insights into the functionality of this innovation. Designed as an enhancement for Google Photos, the feature utilizes the Gemini artificial intelligence (AI) assistant to access images on users’ devices and respond to inquiries regarding them. Although it began rolling out in early access in September of last year, the company has now clarified its operational details and availability.
Gemini-Powered Ask Photos Feature: How Does It Work?
A recent support document released by Google indicates that this feature is compatible with both Android and iOS devices. Users must have the Gemini and Google Photos applications installed, along with Gemini Apps Activity (previously known as Gemini Extensions) activated. Additionally, the same account must be logged into both apps to enable full functionality.
The tech giant based in Mountain View informs that users can instruct the Gemini app to locate specific images within their Google Photos library. To enhance the accuracy of the results, users can include terms such as @Google Photos or my photos in their requests. Examples of effective prompts include:
- Find my photos of Alex
- Show my photos from last summer
- Show me recent selfies
- Show my photos from my most recent trip
- Find my photos of landscapes
This integration with Gemini allows users to pose conversational questions to filter through their cloud-stored images. They can construct detailed queries comprising multiple sentences or use natural language prompts with basic details about the desired image. If the initial search does not yield the expected result, users can ask follow-up questions to guide the AI in its search.
Inquiry options are diverse and can include factors such as face groups or relationships documented in the Photos app, the location or date when the photo was taken, descriptions of the images, or even current topics of conversation with the Gemini mobile app.
