Google Photos has an accessibility problem, but a fix is finally on the way

Google Photos looks like it's finally adding a way to switch off its shimmer effect, the animated outline that flashes over your photos to nudge you into making a sticker. A new report spotted the toggle in a recent app version, so anyone on a Pixel 10 Pro or iPhone tired of the flashing should get an out soon.

Google Photos is building an off switch for the shimmer

The shimmer landed on iOS first and reached Android earlier this year, and people have wanted it gone almost as long. It pops up over your photos a few seconds after you open them, whether or not you ever make stickers.

Now a new report has dug up a toggle in Google Photos version 7.82 that finally turns it off. It comes from a teardown of unreleased code, so it isn't live yet and Google could still change course, but it looks to be on the way.

Why an off switch matters more than it sounds

On paper, an off switch for a sparkly animation sounds minor. The complaints behind it aren't, though. On Google's own support forums, people have said the constant flashing gives them headaches or makes them feel nauseous, which turns a small flourish into a real accessibility problem for some.



The teardown screenshot shows the new 'Show shimmer' toggle in the Photos view menu, set to outline people or objects you can act on, and it appears to be on by default. Google has done this before, of course. When the app added Photo Stacks, we covered how that one also shipped switched on with its toggle buried in settings.

If you're not on Google Photos, this is obviously not something that will affect you. Stick with Samsung Gallery on a Galaxy or Apple's Photos app on an iPhone and there's no shimmer at all, so this only matters if you use Google's app.

Who actually gets relief here

The people who'll feel this most never make stickers and just want to look at their photos without something blinking at them. If you're sensitive to motion or fine animations, even better, since the prompt will stop firing every few seconds.

Once it rolls out, the switch lives under Settings, then Preferences, then Photos view. Turning it off won't kill the shimmer completely, though. You'll still see it when you long-press a photo to make a sticker.

I'm glad it's coming, but it's overdue

Adding the toggle is the right call, and credit where it's due for listening. Still, it's hard to feel too thankful for an off switch to a problem Google made, especially when some people said it was making them feel ill.

The pattern is the part that gets me, though. Google keeps turning these flashy extras on by default and waiting for the pushback before handing over a way out when starting them off and letting fans opt in would spare everyone the trouble. I'd take a calmer gallery and fewer animated nudges any day, and I'm hoping this is a sign of more to come.

• Our Pixel 10 Pro review, if you're weighing the compact flagship.
• How the Pixel 10 Pro stacks up against the iPhone 17 Pro.
• Want more? Follow me, @jojothetechie, on X and Threads, where I drop hot takes and behind-the-scenes coverage.

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