If you’re on Android, Google Photos is probably your go-to way for managing your images and videos, backing those memories up to the cloud, and making edits while on the move. With its latest update, Google is looking to bring retouching tools to your selfies, all while trying to do so in a way the brand keeps referring to as “subtle.”
As announced on the company’s blog today, Google Photos’ image editor now supports touch-up tools that should bring “subtle enhancements” to either selfies or photos of your friends. You can smooth out your skin texture, remove blemishes, brighten your eyes for a more eye-catching look (pun intended, sorry), and whiten your teeth. To use, select a face in a captured image, then select heal, smooth, under eyes, irises, teeth, eyebrows, or lips from the tools list. Each effect has an intensity slider to allow yourself to move between extremes.
Unsurprisingly, the language used in Google’s post today attempts to downplay the potential harms that can be associated with retouching, particularly when it comes to how it’s used within the worlds of, say, fashion and modeling. It’s also launching at a time where lots of parents feel frustrated over how social media impacts their teenaged children, with Google having lost a lawsuit last month over the role YouTube has played in these issues.
Still, if you’re looking to use these options, they’re coming to the Photos app on your phone very soon. This update is rolling out to global users “gradually,” though you’ll need a device running Android 9.0 and with at least 4GB of RAM to actually make use of these tools.
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