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Google Photos could say goodbye to Memories, hello to Timeline (Update)
- Strings in Google Photos initially suggested that the Memories tab could soon be called Timeline.
- We’ve since discovered that there won’t actually be a Timeline tab and that it will be accessible via Collections.
Update: October 23, 2024 (3:05 AM ET): We were able to activate these changes in version 7.5 of Google Photos, and it turns out the Memories tab is disappearing completely. This means you’ve only got three tabs, namely Photos, Collections, and Search.
However, we can confirm that Memories will now be known as Timeline and that Timeline can still be found in the Collections tab. Timeline seems to be identical to Memories in terms of functionality. Check out the screenshots below.
Original article: October 17, 2024 (2:29 AM ET): There’s been no shortage of tweaks and additions to Google Photos in the last year or so, ranging from the Ask Photos feature to AI-powered editing tools. Now, it looks like the Memories feature is undergoing a major change as well.
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.
We discovered strings in Google Photos (version 7.4) that suggest Google plans to ditch the Memories name in favor of the Timeline moniker. Check them out below.
<string name="photos_collectionstab_lsv_migrated_tooltip">Memories is now renamed to Timeline</string>
<string name="photos_flyingsky_suggestions_timeline_title">Add to your Timeline?</string>
<string name="photos_stories_all_caught_up_go_to_timeline">Go to your Timeline</string>
<string name="photos_flyingsky_activity_lsv_tab_migrated_promo_title">Memories has moved to Collections</string>The last string also notes that Memories aren’t actually gone altogether and can still be found in the Collections tab. This does make us wonder what the Timeline feature will be if you can still access the old feature. It’s a safe bet that the clue is in the name and your old photos will be displayed in a tweaked layout.
Either way, it seems like changes are afoot for the Memories tab. But we’re glad to see that your old Memories might not disappear altogether as we’re sure there are loads of people with old but cherished Memories.
This isn’t the only recent Google Photos change we’ve uncovered, either. It looks like the Android app could gain a more modern video player for an improved user experience as well. It also looks like Google Photos could tell you whether an image is AI-generated.