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Google Photos is making it easier to manage photos and search for albums (APK teardown)
Published onMarch 27, 2025
- Google Photos could soon get a revamped image viewer interface with a button to help users quickly add photos to an album, the archive, or the locked folder.
- Google is also prepping a new search feature for the Albums page, making it easier for users to look up specific albums.
- Lastly, Google could soon introduce a more prominent account switcher to the Photos app.
Google is prepping a few interface and quality-of-life changes for the Google Photos app on Android that should make it easier for users to add images to albums, search for specific albums, and switch between different accounts. We’ve spotted these changes in the latest Google Photos release (version 7.22.0.739755607), but they’re yet to roll out to users.
An APK teardown helps predict features that may arrive on a service in the future based on work-in-progress code. However, it is possible that such predicted features may not make it to a public release.
The upcoming changes include an updated image viewer interface that features a new Edit icon and replaces the Lens option in the bottom bar with an “Add to” button. As you can see in the attached screenshot, this new Add to button lets you quickly add the current photo to an album, the archive, or the locked folder.
Previously, you had to swipe up on a photo or tap the three-dot menu button to access these options. The new interface makes the Add options easier to access, but the Lens button is now hidden within the Options menu.
The updated photo viewer interface also features a larger backup button at the top and prominently displays the date when the photo was taken. The contextual chips in the new UI are also a bit more rounded.
Along with these interface changes, Google is making it easier for users to search for specific albums in the Google Photos app. We’ve spotted a new Search button on the Albums page that should simplify the process. However, it’s not functional in the current release.
Lastly, Google is working on a new account switcher for the Photos app. To switch to a different account in the current stable release, you have to tap on your profile photo in the top right corner, tap the arrow button next to your current account, and then tap on the other account in the drop-down menu.
The current implementation doesn’t have a clear label indicating that users must tap the arrow button to open the account switcher. With an upcoming release, Google aims to make it more obvious by adding a large pill-shaped “Switch account” button to the profile menu. We first spotted this new account switcher in a teardown last year, and it is slowly making its way to all Google apps.
As mentioned, these changes are not live in the Google Photos release and you won’t see them on your end right away. Google will likely release them with a future update, and we’ll update this post as soon as they’re available widely.