Google Photos has a hidden shortcut that allows users to switch to the classic search experience from Ask Photos-driven search. First unveiled at Google I/O last year, the Ask Photos feature started rolling out to users in September 2024. The artificial intelligence (AI) feature allows users to make natural language queries to find relevant images from their images and videos stored in their Google Drive. Users can also converse with Gemini to locate a particular image, in case the first query does not return the right result.
Hidden Shortcut to Bypass Ask Photos in Google Photos
The shortcut was first discovered by 9to5Google. Those who do not have a Gemini Advanced subscription, have access to the classic search interface in Google Photos by default. However, those paying for the subscription get a new Ask Photos interface that replaces the traditional search interface.
Ask Photos allows users to leverage Gemini’s capabilities to locate a particular image by describing it. However, several users have found it slow and unreliable at times. The Ask Photos interface provides a small button in the middle of the screen to switch to the traditional search interface, but it can be inconvenient to first enter Ask Photos and then move to the older search tab.
There is a faster method as well. Users can double-tap the Ask Photos icon, located in the bottom-right corner of the Google Photos interface, to quickly move to the traditional search. Since the classic search also supports natural language queries, users can find images faster in a familiar workflow.
To switch back to Ask Photos, Gemini Advanced users can simply tap the Ask Photos icon one more time, and they will be taken to the AI-powered experience. The publication states that this double-tapping method does not work on the Google Photos app for iOS. Gadgets 360 staff members were not able to verify this claim.
Ask Photos also lets users ask queries based on their face groups or relationships saved in the Google Photos app. Additionally, they can also search based on the location or date of the photo, the content of the image, and contextual references to the photo during a conversation with Gemini.
