Google’s AI-powered Ask feature for searching through images in Google Photos was supposed to be a seamless experience. Expected to be a game-changer when it comes to navigating through vast photo libraries, the feature didn’t quite hit the mark because of it not being there “in terms of latency, quality and ux.”

For reference, the feature first made its way to the app back in September, albeit in a limited capacity. Google then began expanding access outside of Labs testing in October, and now, with much-needed improvements in tow, the feature is expanding widely in the US.

According to the tech giant, Ask Photos is now expanding beyond ‘early access,’ and starting to roll out to eligible users in the US. To be eligible, users must:

Be 18 or older.

Be in the United States.

Have their Google Account language set to English (United States).

Have Face Groups turned on.

For reference, users can turn Face Groups on by navigating to Google Photos → profile photo (top right) → Photos settings → Privacy → Face Groups.

A smarter approach

One of the primary drawbacks of Ask Photos was its response time. Google says that it has now improved the feature’s latency when it comes to finding media relevant to your search text.

In addition, it’s taking a novel approach that highlights the app’s traditional search results first, while “Gemini models continue to work in the background to find the most relevant photos or information for more complex queries.” This should give users faster initial results, all while Gemini works in the background to fine tune those results.

The latter, as highlighted by the tech giant in a short snippet, will surface images in a ‘Best match’ section.

Google has suspended the rollout of its artificial intelligence (AI)-powered “Ask Photos” feature in Google Photos . The move comes after the company acknowledged that the tool isn’t up to the mark yet. Jamie Aspinall, a product manager for Google Photos, said on X that “Ask Photos isn’t where it needs to be,” citing latency, quality, and user experience as key concerns. Ask Photos has been gradually rolling out since late last year.

Tech details ‘Ask Photos’ is powered by Gemini AI models The experimental “Ask Photos” feature is powered by Google’s most advanced Gemini AI models. It is worth noting that these models are specifically designed for use with Ask Photos. The feature is aimed at helping users find exactly what they’re looking for in their gallery. Despite its promise, Ask Photos has faced issues such as missing photos from folders and sluggish performance.

Improvement plan Improved version of ‘Ask Photos’ expected in 2 weeks Aspinall revealed that Google has halted the feature’s rollout “at very small numbers while we address these issues.” He added that an improved version of “Ask Photos” would be released in about two weeks. This update is expected to restore the speed and recall of the original search function, making it more efficient and user-friendly.

Feature upgrade Upgrade to keyword search in Photos Along with the suspension of “Ask Photos,” Google has also announced an upgrade to keyword search in Photos. The update lets users use quotes for exact text matches within filenames, camera models, captions, or text within photos. You can search without quotes to include visual matches as well. This enhancement is part of Google’s ongoing efforts to improve user experience and make information retrieval more efficient on its platforms.