Google Photos Expands AI Editing to iPhone With ‘Help Me Edit’ and Global ‘Ask Photos’

Google is enhancing its Photos app with AI tools now available on iOS, including the interactive ‘Help Me Edit’ feature and the worldwide introduction of ‘Ask Photos.’ Originally, these updates aim to make personalizing photo edits more intuitive across platforms.

‘Help Me Edit’ Lands on iOS With Customized AI Capabilities

Following its Android introduction, the conversational editing tool ‘Help Me Edit’ is now live for iPhone and iPad users in the United States. Within the Photos app, users will find a revamped editor featuring a text field called “Help me edit” at the bottom when they tap Edit on a photo. This feature simplifies multi-step editing by allowing users to describe desired changes in ordinary language.

For instance, you can type phrases like, “Remove the glare from the glasses, brighten the sky, and make everyone smile.” The AI processes these instructions and applies the edits automatically. According to Google, this tech can even use private face groups to refine results, like adjusting expressions in group photos.

Additionally, the update introduces the Nano Banana model, which facilitates artistic edits. This model supports imaginative requests such as “make this look like a watercolor painting” or “turn it into a comic book cover.” A new Create with AI carousel in the Create tab offers ready-made prompts like “turn me into a magazine cover” or “create a holiday portrait.” The update begins its rollout in the US and India for Android next week, with iOS soon to follow.

‘Ask Photos’ Rolls Out to Over 100 Countries in 17 Languages

Initially launched in the US earlier this year, ‘Ask Photos’—Google Photos’ AI-driven search tool—is now expanding globally. The introduction of the Ask tab replaces the old Search tab, enabling users to perform natural language searches such as, “Show me pictures of my cat playing in the garden” or “Find my graduation photos.”

With enhanced context understanding, ‘Ask Photos‘ retrieves relevant images quickly, eliminating the need for manual scrolling. Google confirms that the tool is reaching more than 100 countries and will support 17 languages.

A new Ask button is also part of the update, available directly while viewing any image. Positioned between “Edit” and “Add to,” this button is marked with a Gemini icon. Clicking it provides an instant description of the photo and opens a conversation box for follow-up questions or editing requests.

Introducing Smarter AI Templates Soon

In the coming weeks, Google plans to deploy personalized AI templates that draw from insights about user habits or preferences based on their photo history, such as favorite pastimes. This feature could enable users to request, “Make a sketch of me hiking” or “Create a cartoon of me and my pet,” paving the way for more customized edits.

Google Photos is shifting from a simple storage solution to a dynamic AI assistant capable of arranging, understanding, and editing images through straightforward dialogue.

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