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Your Google Photos app is about to look different. Here’s what’s changing

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The Google Photos app on the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold.
Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

Google is implementing a small yet significant change to its popular Google Photos app. As first noted by 9to5Google, the app’s “Memories” tab is being removed. Memories is an auto-organizing, scrapbook-like feature that utilizes artificial intelligence to create an AI-powered feed.

Since its release, the Memories tab has been in the bottom bar of the Google Photos app. The Memories tab is being replaced by Moments, which will reside inside the app’s Collections tab. This is where you can find People & pets, Albums, Documents, and Places.

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With the change, the bottom bar in Google Photos will consist of only three tabs: Photos, Collections, and Search (or Ask if you’re using Google Gemini). After the expected app update for iOS and Android, Memories branding will consist only of the carousel at the top of the app’s primary photos grid.

9to5Google rightly says the new look makes Google Photos navigation much cleaner. A similar change was made to the Google Maps app earlier this year; it too only has three tabs in the bottom bar.

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The features remain the same whether it’s called Memories or Moments. This tool functions as a digital scrapbook, showcasing curated collections of your photos and videos from the past. Google’s AI intelligently selects and organizes these memories, making rediscovering special moments such as events, trips, or significant dates easy.

You can personalize these Memories by adding or removing content, editing titles, and changing the featured images. Sharing these nostalgic collections with friends and family is simple, and you have complete control to hide specific Memories, remove photos, or even disable the feature entirely.

Additionally, Memories often include automatically generated creations like collages, animations, or stylized photos, adding a creative touch to your reminiscing.

The latest Google Photos update for the iPhone 16 and other iPhones includes the change, and an Android app update for phones like the Google Pixel 9 is expected to drop on Google Play soon.

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Bryan M. Wolfe
Bryan M. Wolfe
Mobile and A/V Freelancer
Bryan M. Wolfe has over a decade of experience as a technology writer. He writes about mobile.
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