Google has announced a major update to Google Photos, introducing creative tools that allow users to animate, stylize, and remix their existing photos with ease. These features are designed to help users bring still images to life and share them in more engaging ways.
Josh Sassoon, Director of UX for Google Photos and Google One, highlighted the goal behind the update – to enhance user creativity through intuitive tools like photo-to-video animation and artistic remixing.
Photo-to-Video Animation
The standout feature is the new Photo-to-Video tool, powered by Google’s Veo 2 technology. It lets users convert a single static photo into a six-second video using one of two animation prompts – “Subtle movements” or “I’m feeling lucky.” This tool is ideal for reviving moments like childhood portraits or old group photos with dynamic motion. While widely accessible, usage limits may apply.
Remix Tool
Another addition is Remix, a feature that allows users to reimagine their photos in a variety of artistic styles. Whether turning an image into a hand-drawn sketch or a colorful digital painting, Remix makes creative transformations seamless and share-ready directly from the gallery.
Create Tab
To streamline the creative experience, Google has introduced a Create tab within the Photos app. This tab acts as a central hub, offering easy access to Photo-to-Video, Remix, collage creation, and highlight video tools – all in one place. Google says the tab will evolve over time based on user feedback.
To maintain ethical standards, all content generated using Photo-to-Video and Remix includes an invisible SynthID watermark, and video outputs carry a visible AI label – similar to those used in Gemini-generated content. Google also emphasizes its ongoing AI safety efforts, including internal testing and public feedback mechanisms.
Photo-to-Video is now available in the U.S. on Android and iOS. Remix will begin rolling out in the U.S. over the coming weeks. The new Create tab is expected to launch in the U.S. starting in August.
