The latest Google Photos update doesn't just make it easier to organise your photos on both the best iPhones and Android phones, although it does do that. It also makes it much easier to get your photos from other services, such as Facebook and iCloud, as well as from other sources such as cameras and memory cards.
As someone who kept their Flickr photo library going for years longer than I should have, I can attest that one of the things that prevents people from switching photo storage services is the sheer hassle of it: you know that once transferred, your photos would live lives of sunshine and joy, doing the electronic equivalent of scampering through sun-dappled meadows.
But you also know that actually transferring things across is an enormous pain in the backside, so you don't do it. Making the process easier is a win-win situation: it's easier for you, and it means more people potentially using Google for all their photo stuff.
But that's not all there is in the new update. There are some cool new tools coming too.
Interface updates and useful new tools
The Library tab is getting redesigned with the option to view in grid or list mode and filter by type, such as albums, favourites and on-device folders so that you can quickly sort your shots. And the same Import Photos that works with external services makes it easier to get photos from a camera.
Google is also rejigging the Sharing tab, with sections for partner sharing, shared albums and conversations to make it easier to share and to stay on top of what your friends are sharing. This one's coming to the Android version first and iOS shortly afterwards.
The Android version is also getting new contextual suggestions that will make it quicker to access key features such as copying text, cropping images, using Google Lens and so on. The aim is to enable you to do more with fewer taps.
As Google Photos product manager Sophie Kahan writes, "One of my favorite parts of Google Photos is that it takes the work out of managing, finding, reliving, editing and sharing my photos and videos — and all these updates make that a little bit easier."
