Google Photos

Google Photos rolling new ‘Updates’ page on Android, iOS

Abner Li | Nov 7 2024 - 3:39 pm PT

After replacing “Library” with the “Collections” tab in August, the next notable change to Google Photos is an “Updates” feed in place of “Sharing.”

Update 11/7: Google has made official the new Updates page as a “destination in the Photos app that makes catching up on new activity easier than ever.” The goal is to “streamline how you can view recent activity with an interface that makes albums, groups, and conversations more accessible.”

This feed is grouped by “today, yesterday, this week, this month, last month, and beyond.” You will specifically see:

Updates to a shared album
Updates to a conversation
Updates to a group conversation
Partner sharing updates
Memory updates
Storage updates

Meanwhile, to access shared albums, Google points users to the Collections tab > Albums. If you swipe down, there are filters for: All, Shared with me, and My albums.

The Updates page is coming to Google Photos for Android and iOS “over the coming weeks.”

Original 11/3: Previously, Google Photos had a Sharing page that you accessed from a ‘people’ icon in-between the ‘plus’ menu and your profile avatar. It started with high-level shortcuts for “Create shared album” and “Share with partner.” This was followed by an “Albums and Memories” carousel. Finally, you had a list of “Conversations.”

You now get a notification bell icon in the app bar to “See recent sharing updates, including conversations and shared links.” This opens an “Updates” feed. The overflow menu lets you access:

Sharing activity: Shared links, Shared memories, and Conversations
Conversations

It’s not surprising that Google is deemphasising the messaging system that is Conversations, while a bell icon in that top bar is a common UI convention across Google apps, including Home, the Play Store, and YouTube

We’re seeing Updates rolled out to Google Photos for Android, but not iOS.