Leaked Pixel 9 promo shows off ‘Add Me’ feature that adds you to group shots [Video]

Ben Schoon | Jul 26 2024 - 6:11 am PT

AI features are probably going to be the main focus of new Google Pixel phones for the foreseeable future, and this morning a new leak has revealed “Add Me,” an impressive new photo feature coming with Pixel 9 that can add you to a group shot after it’s been taken.

In a leaked promo video posted by Android Headlines, Google’s AI features on the upcoming Pixel 9 series are shown in action. This includes the ability for Gemini to generate a recipe based on a picture of the contents of your refrigerator, as well as “Pixel Screenshots,” a new tool that can find information in screenshots you’ve taken.

The last new feature showcased is one we’ve not heard of before, “Add Me.”

“Add Me” on the Pixel 9 seems like an evolution of Best Take, a Pixel 8 series feature that, while not without some controversy, could change someone’s face in a group shot by using their face from another similar picture taken at the same time. Where that feature was designed to adjust an existing picture by changing the subjects within it, “Add Me” is able to add someone to a group shot if they weren’t there in the first place.

This is done by taking two pictures in the same location. The video only briefly shows how the feature works, but it seems that the idea is to take a shot with most of the subjects of the picture, then to hand the phone over to someone else to have them take a second shot of the same scene, but with the other person in it. A UI on screen overlays the subjects of the previous shot to help align the scene between the two pictures, and then the AI seemingly stitches everything together for a final product.

Like Best Take, it’s entirely possible that this won’t work as well in real-life as it does in demos, but this is a pretty darn clever idea.

Notably, the feature is mentioned to be “coming soon,” implying it won’t be available at launch. The same footnote also mentions that it is “not available for all cameras, apps, or modes.”

Google’s Pixel 9 series is set to launch on August 13, and the leaks just keep on coming, so stay tuned right here to 9to5Google for more.