Use This Shortcut to Remove AI From Google Photos Search
By default, Google Photos now uses Gemini AI to search your photo library. This was made possible thanks to a new feature called Ask Photos, which appeared late last year . While this feature is great for finding specific photos, it’s not as fast as the old search option, so it’s not ideal for any search, especially more general ones. If you’re tired of the slower Gemini search in Google Photos for Android, there’s a shortcut to help you return to the classic search functionality.
As 9to5Google noted, you can long press the search button (which is labeled “Ask” and located in the bottom right corner) to use the classic, faster, and AI-free search method instead. Alternatively, you can double-tap the Ask button to do the same. And don’t worry about having to change the search format—the old method also supports natural language searches. You can ask it to show “photos of the forest in 2023” or similar queries, and it will still generally return accurate results.
Until Google improves the speed and accuracy of its search results using AI, the old version of search may be better for most people. There is also the issue of how much power AI tools consume , which can be alarmingly high for relatively simple tasks. Google is experimenting with the Ask Photos UI as some people have noticed a revamped UI that reduces the screen real estate dedicated to AI searches. However, most people in the US still see a full-screen AI search page, and a small button to switch to classic search is the most visible way to avoid this, so knowing the shortcut to using non-AI search is a lifesaver.
However, there are times when Ask Photos can still be useful, such as when you’re looking through old Halloween photos and need to find the one with someone wearing a Fall Guys costume . Luckily, it’s easy to choose which tool to use in each case. Pressing the Ask button once will allow you to use AI search, but a long press or double tap of the button will take you to a faster non-AI alternative. This shortcut is currently exclusive to the Android version of Google Photos.