PCMag editors select and review products independently. If you buy through affiliate links, we may earn commissions, which help support our testing.

Google Photos Will Hide Pics of Your Ex

 & Stephanie Mlot Contributor

Our team tests, rates, and reviews more than 1,500 products each year to help you make better buying decisions and get more from technology.

Our Expert
LOOK INSIDE PC LABS HOW WE TEST
65 EXPERTS
43 YEARS
41,500+ REVIEWS

If you're looking for someone—or looking to avoid someone—Google Photos for Android just made it a lot easier.

Already available to users in the U.S., Google's facial detection feature is rolling out to Latin America, Canada, the Caribbean, Australia, and New Zealand, as well as parts of Asia, the Middle East, and Africa.

In app version 1.8, tap the Search button and watch as Photos automatically organizes faces from your entire image library. Snapshots of your best friend or significant other are grouped together; a thumbnail image represents a folder of photos, which can be labeled for even quicker access.

And, if you can't stand seeing an ex's face or goofy pictures of your embarrassing parents—but don't want to delete the images—Google Photos now lets you hide a person from appearing under People.

The images remain in your online and mobile collection, but won't show up when scrolling through the People catalog. Those folks will also be banned from the app's "Rediscover this day" cards.

Version 1.8 also supports pinch to zoom on search results and promises "spooky fast" performance improvements and bug fixes.

Android owners can install the update now; the changes are coming "very soon" to iOS and the Web.

Google Photos launched at I/O in May, with unlimited free storage for images up to 16 megapixels, and high-definition video up to 1080p. There were initially some concerns that the the app backs up photos even after it has been uninstalled, but that doesn't seem to have scared people away. The service recently hit 100 million users.

For more, see PCMag's review of Google Photos for Android and iPhone.

About Our Expert

Stephanie Mlot

Stephanie Mlot

Contributor

My Experience

  • B.A. in Journalism & Public Relations with minor in Communications Media from Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP)
  • Reporter at The Frederick News-Post (2008-2012)
  • Reporter for PCMag and Geek.com (RIP) (2012-present)

My Areas of Expertise

  • Science & Space
  • Video Streaming Services
  • Social Media
  • Cars & Auto
  • Education

The Tech I Use

  • iPhone 12 Pro
  • MacBook Air (hooked up to a 23-inch Dell monitor)
  • Google Chrome
  • Google Drive
  • Soundcore Life P3 earbuds
  • Various Amazon Echo devices

Read full bio