Key Takeaways:
Google is bringing its enhanced AI-powered image editing tools – previously limited to Pixel devices and Google One subscribers – to all Google Photos users.
With a growing number of AI-powered image editing tools flooding the market, the company has decided to make several previously exclusive editing features available to Google Photos users free of charge.
Google Photos Users Will Get Magic Editor, Magic Eraser, and Photo Unblur for Free
According to a blog post made on Wednesday, April 10th, the company’s advanced tools such as the Magic Editor, Magic Eraser – which removes unwanted items from photos, Photo Unblur – which leverages machine learning to sharpen blurry photos, and Portrait Light that lets users change the light source on photos, to the Google Photos app on iOS and Android.
Magic Editor is Google’s advanced generative AI photo editing tool that debuted as a headline feature on the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro. In typical Google fashion, those kinds of features remain exclusive to the tech giant’s latest smartphones for around six months after launch before they are brought to older devices.
Subscribers of Google’s cloud storage service – Google One – can also get their hands on the new features at launch.
Devices Running iOS 15 or Android 8.0 and Higher Will get the AI Editing Tools on the Photos App
Google listed the specifications required for the features to work on older hardware. Users will need their iPhone and Android devices to have at least a 64-bit chip, 4 GB of RAM, and either iOS 15 or Android 8 operating systems running on them. When it comes to Chromebooks, it must be a Chromebook Plus running ChromeOS version 118+ or have at least 3 GB of RAM.
Users with devices that meet the minimum requirements will be able to use Magic Editor without a Google One subscription. However, the caveat is that they will be limited to 10 saved edits per month, while Pixel owners and paid subscribers get unlimited usage.
To go beyond the monthly limit, users need to either get the Pixel 8 or subscribe to a premium Google One plan that also gives them 2TB of cloud storage.
Magic Editor uses generative AI to perform more complicated editing tasks like filling gaps in photos or repositioning the subject in the foreground or background of a picture. Previously, these edits required either the Magic Eraser or professional editing tools like Photoshop, which were manual and not automated through artificial intelligence.
Google will begin the Roll Out Starting May 15th
Other older features like Photo Unblur, Color Pop, HDR for photos and videos, Sky suggestions, Cinematic Photos, Styles in the Collage Editor, Video Effects, and Magic Eraser will be available for free to all Google Photos users.
However, advanced features like Best Take and Audio Magic Eraser, launched with the Pixel 8 series, will continue to be exclusive to those devices for the time being.
Google said the features will start rolling out from May 15th onwards but would take weeks for them to show up on all devices owned by Google Photos users. Pixel tablets will also be supported.
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