If you’ve followed the tech headlines in recent months, you’ve likely noticed the influx of artificial intelligence features and tools appearing inside many of our apps and gadgets. This phenomenon includes the excellent Google Photos app. AI has long played an important role in Google Photos, doing everything from grouping images by the people in them, to brightening up dark spots.
With the launch of the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro phones though, the AI capabilities leveled up. These two handsets are the first Pixel phones to support Magic Editor, a new photo trickery feature that lets you apply a variety of effects with a single tap—effects that would’ve previously needed a computer, Photoshop, and a lot of time and skill.
Magic Editor can move people from one spot to another inside an image, or remove people and other objects altogether. You can use it to change the look of the sky, and even introduce elements that weren’t in the original snap.
Google says that “select Pixel phones” (including the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro) now have “early access” to Magic Editor. Over time, it should come to more handsets—to see if you’ve got it now, open an image in Google Photos on Android, tap Edit, then look for the Magic Editor icon—a glowing button in the lower left corner.
Making changes with Magic Editor
If you do find the Magic Editor button inside Google Photos, your first step is to select something on the image to manipulate. Options include a person, an object, or even the sky. If you want the app to suggest something to alter, tap the suggestions icon—the magic wand symbol at the bottom.
To make a manual selection, you can scribble over something with your finger, or circle it, or just tap it—the AI in Google Photos will try and intelligently select what it thinks you want to select (this is obviously easier if it stands out…
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