The latest and greatest features are often only available to a select few users, and sometimes you even have to pay to use them. This has been the case for some of Google’s AI features, but it won’t last long.
In an official blog post, Google confirmed that major AI-powered editing tools will soon be available to everyone. Example highlights include Magic Eraser, Photo Unblur, and Portrait Light, but they’re not the only ones.
These features will be available for free to all users of the Google Photos app on Android and iOS starting May 15, the same day as the Google I/O 2024 developer conference.
It’s not just smartphones: Google has confirmed that other devices, including the Pixel tablet, will have access, with no Google One subscription required.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
The first of these, Magic Eraser, was revealed alongside the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro phones and initially available only on those devices. Later, its availability was expanded to include the Pixel 7 series, before eventually being made available to all users with a Google One subscription.
Magic Eraser is a tool that allows you to get rid of unnecessary elements from the background; these may be people, objects or other unwanted elements. All you have to do is select the unwanted item, then the AI will delete it and recreate the deleted part to match the environment.
Another tool, Photo Unblur, helps sharpen blurry photos, while Portrait Light improves the lighting in portrait photos so that faces are better lit and therefore more visible.
Of course, that’s not all, and you can find a full list of features now available to all users on the Google Photos community site. However, some features introduced with the Pixel 8 series, such as Best Take and Audio Magic Eraser, will remain exclusive to the latest Pixel devices for now.
At the same time, Google announced that it would make the Magic Editor feature available to users of the Google Photos app at no additional cost, but with some limitations.
The solution is an extension of Magic Eraser; not only does it allow you to remove objects from photos, but it also allows you to move elements of photos to different locations, as well as change the appearance of individual sections.
Currently, Magic Editor is only available on the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro. However, owners of all Pixel phones will be able to use it without restrictions, also from May 15, 2024.
Additionally, the feature will be made available to all users of the Google Photos app, but they will only have the ability to save 10 edits per month. The limit can be lifted by purchasing a premium Google One plan (2TB plan or higher).
All other features will be available For to everyone, but only with a phone that meets the minimum requirements. If you want to make sure you can use Google’s AI features, you can buy one of the best Android phones or the best iPhones, all of which are compatible..
However, by opting for one of the best Pixel phones, like the Pixel 8 or even the mid-range Pixel 7a, you can be sure to get the most out of everything Google has to offer.
