Fingers crossed: two cool new Google Photos features may soon be yours

It's all about sharing more easily and… beat matching.

Google Photos logo.
Your favorite app is getting smarter. | Image by PhoneArena
0
Google Photos is one of those apps that most of us use multiple times a day. Now, Google's popular image-handling app is rumored to get enhanced with two extra features for our convenience.

Sharing QR codes with friends nearby is super easy, but what if you want to share the Google Photos album of your recent trip with your group chat, consisting of people who are scattered across the country (or the world)?

QR code sharing




Sharing Google Photos albums isn't particularly difficult via link. But why do that instead via a QR code? QR codes are so handy. In 2025, Google Photos was updated to feature precisely that, but currently, using QR codes is a bit awkward. The app doesn't permit direct QR code downloads to your phones, so users had to resort to taking screenshots.

Soon, this will likely be addressed.

What would make you switch from Android or iOS?
126 Votes

The early look


Android Authority has a new report that sheds light on Google Photos version 7.93.0, in which the album sharing interface update is at. Per the code investigation, Google Photos will soon let you either copy or download the QR code to your device. No fuss, no muss.

Once this feature arrives on users' phones across the world, the two (Copy and Download) buttons should be found right below the QR code itself. By copying it you'll be able to paste it to your messaging app of choice; if downloaded, you'll have a copy of the QR code on your device.

Recommended For You

Beat matching!


Google Photos will gain another function soon. The app can already turn a collection of your photos into a short Highlight Video (yes, with music and cool automatic transitions).

The problem is that the app doesn't currently know where the beats in your chosen song are, so if you want each photo change to land on the music, you have to adjust the timing yourself. A new "Beat Match" feature could fix that by automatically detecting the song's rhythm and changing how long each photo stays on screen.

So, for example, instead of every photo appearing for exactly one second, Google Photos might show one for 0.7 seconds and another for 1.2 seconds so the transitions happen on the beat. I can't imagine what the Highlight Videos of hard techno fans would look like.

Anyway, the feature was found hidden in a recent Google Photos app version, suggesting it is in development, although Google hasn't released it yet. You'll apparently still be able to turn Beat Match off and edit the timing manually if you don't like the result. The main idea is simple: Google Photos wants to let you make music-synced photo videos without having to learn or use a dedicated video editor.

Six-month unlimited plan is now 57% off
$90
$210
$120 off (57%)
Mint Mobile is now allowing you to get whichever plan you like for either three, six, or 12 months for just $15/mo. If you go for the six-month unlimited service, for instance, you'll now have to pay just $90 upfront instead of $210.
Buy at Mint Mobile
PhoneArena Recommends
COMMENTS (0)