Google is reportedly bringing back a Google Photos feature that it removed just a few months ago
Google is reportedly bringing back an important Google Photos sharing feature after it suddenly removed it without warning last year. This removal has left some users frustrated by the inability to easily share certain photos and videos using Partner Sharing, especially images taken with external cameras or created in other apps.
Update below January 12: Google is working on two additional updates to Google Photos that will bring more user control over automatic functions.
However, according to a new report, the latest version of the Google Photos Android app contains new code that will restore the ability to use Partner Sharing to share photos and videos stored in third-party apps.
According to discoveries made by well-known app removal specialist Assemble Debug, a new option, currently in testing, adds a toggle switch to the app’s settings named “Include content from other Android apps.”
Users will apparently be able to enable this feature to restore Partner Sharing to the functionality it originally had before Google removed the capability last year.
What is Sharing Partner in Google Photos?
Partner Sharing is a powerful Google Photos feature that makes it easier to share photos and videos with a guest, usually your partner, by automatically sending the photos without manual intervention.
You can choose to share all photos or just photos of specific people. You can also, and probably should, limit automatic sharing by date – they might not want to get all your old photos of your ex, for example.
How did Google Photos change partner sharing?
In late 2024, Google made an important change to Partner Sharing that prevents it from automatically sharing images from “other apps.” Google hasn’t clearly specified which photos are affected by the change, but users have noticed that screenshots are no longer automatically shared with Partner Sharing. Another noticed a similar problem with photos captured with their DJI Fly app.
Google previously disabled this feature to “better align with the expectations of the majority of users. ” However, some users suddenly found themselves unable to share content such as screenshots or videos recorded in third-party camera apps with Partner Sharing. The new toggle, which will remain disabled by default , should allow users to resume sharing these types of content with their partners At the same time, the app continues to meet the expectations of most users, who they may not want screenshots and other files to be shared automatically.
As is always the case with these revelations, we don’t know when or even if Google will enable the feature or if users will be notified when it becomes available. If you are unable to share images from third-party apps via Partner Sharing, I advise you to periodically check your Partner Sharing settings to see if you have the new toggle key.
Google previously blocked Partner Sharing from sharing photos from apps outside of Google Photos.
The change is detailed in an official Google Support forum announcement. Here, Google suggests manual photo sharing as a workaround (which defeats the entire purpose of Partner Sharing). However, others have noted that moving photos or videos to the locked folder and back again makes them eligible for Partner Sharing in Google Photos even if they’re stored in a third-party app.
January 12 update: Google is testing further updates to Google Photos.
In other Google Photos news: Google is reportedly testing two new ways to give users more control over how they organize and declutter their content, and also what content they want to see in their Memories Google Photos” created automatically.
The first is a powerful enhancement to the Photo Stacks feature that will give users greater control over how their photos are organized. This upgrade will allow users to create photo stacks manually instead of relying on Google’s automatic AI selections.
Google is also said to be continuing work on a significant improvement to Memories, the Google Photos feature that automatically displays your best and most important photos and videos in short, automatically generated video clips and slideshows. According to the report, it will soon be easier for Memories to show more photos and videos of the people you’re most interested in.
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