Here's your first look at smarter album browsing in Google Photos

Last week, we reported that Google Photos was developing a new way to find people and pets in individual albums. We now have our first look at the feature in action, with new screenshots showing how it could work once it rolls out.

Finding a specific photo in a large album can be frustrating, especially when you have to scroll through everything to find it. This is particularly true for albums from family vacations, birthdays, or other gatherings, where you might have dozens of group photos and selfies. Sometimes, you just want to find pictures featuring a family member or your pet without scrolling through the entire album.

That’s exactly what this upcoming feature could make easier. As the screenshots show, Google Photos will let you filter an album by selecting specific faces from a People & pets list. You won’t be limited to just one person, either. You can also select multiple people or pets, which should make finding the photos you’re looking for much less tedious.

Now, Google Photos already lets you search for pictures of specific people and pets across your entire library, so the idea itself isn’t new. What’s changing is where you can use it.