Edit your photos

Add filters, crop photos, and more on your mobile device or computer. To edit photos on your mobile device, use the Google Photos app. Some features aren't available on mobile web.

Tip: If you have backup turned on, your edits will sync to your Google Photos Account.

Before you get started

Download and install the Google Photos app.

Tips:

• While you edit a photo, the icon turns blue when you apply certain features to a photo.
• To compare your edited photo to the original, tap and hold the image preview.
• To undo changes to an edited photo, tap Edit Revert. You can't undo changes to photos you save as a copy.
• After you edit a photo, to save changes, at the bottom, tap Save. You may find 2 options on how to save:
  • Save: Saves your changes to the original photo. You might not be able to use this option for certain edits.
  • Save as copy: Makes a new photo with your edits without changes to the original.
• Some editing features aren’t supported on 32-bit devices. To use some features, you must have at least 3 GB RAM and Android 8.0 and up.
• Some features are only available on Pixel. If you can’t find the feature you’re looking for, learn more about Google Photos features for Pixel devices.
• To use some editing tools, you must download the tool first. To install, tap the editing tool Install.
  • Make sure you’re connected to Wi-Fi and have available device storage. If you’re having trouble connecting to Wi-Fi, you can use mobile data.
  • After you install the editing tool, you may need to close and reopen the photo editor to use it.
• If you have less than 1 GB of device storage:
  • You can’t download some editing tools. To make room on your device for editing tools, learn how to free up space.
  • Unused editing tools may be removed. You must reinstall the tool to use it again.

Use suggested edits

Important: Your device must have at least 3 GB RAM and Android 8.0 and up.

Google Photos suggests edit options based on the type of photo you want to edit, that you can apply with one tap.

1. Open the photo you want to edit.
2. Tap Edit .
3. To apply a suggested edit, tap the suggestion name.
   • For example, tap Enhance .
4. To undo changes, tap the suggested edit option again.
5. When you're finished, tap Save.

Crop or rotate a photo

1. Open the photo you want to edit.
2. Tap Edit Crop.
   • To crop the photo to different aspect ratios, like a square, tap Aspect ratio .
   • To change the photo's perspective, tap Transform . Drag the dots to the edges of your desired photo or tap Auto.
   • To rotate a photo 90 degrees, tap Rotate .
     • To make minor adjustments to straighten the photo, use the dial above Rotate .
     • To automatically straighten the photo, tap Auto.
       • Tip: Auto straighten availability will depend on the photo.
3. To save a copy of the photo with your edits, at the bottom, tap Save.

Use tools

Important:

• Some tools are only available on Pixel. If you can’t find the tool you’re looking for, learn more about Google Photos features for Pixel devices.
• To use Add light and Balance light in the Portrait light tool and improved Unblur, your device must have at least 4 GB RAM.

1. Open the photo you want to edit.
2. Tap Edit Tools.
3. Select the tools you want to use with your photo and make changes.
4. When you finish, tap Done.
5. To undo an effect, deselect the option or tap Cancel.

Available tools

• To remove unwanted distractions, tap Magic eraser .
  • To remove distractions from your photo, tap Erase.
  • To change the color of distracting objects in your photo, tap Camouflage.
• To adjust the position and brightness to portraits of a person, tap Portrait light .
  • You can add directional lighting in your photos of people, and manually or automatically adjust harsh shadow and lighting. In the Portrait light tool, use Add light and Balance light.
• To adjust background blur, tap Blur .
  • To adjust what ranges of your photo are blurred instead of in focus, you can also use Depth .
• To select from several palettes and adjust the color and contrast in the sky, tap Sky .
• To desaturate the background, but keep the foreground in color, tap Color pop .
• To improve your blurry photos, tap Unblur.

Adjust photos

Important: Your device must have at least 3 GB RAM and Android 8.0 and up.

1. Open the photo you want to edit.
2. Tap Edit Adjust.
3. Select the type of effect you want to apply to your photo.
4. Move the dial to make changes.
5. When you finish, tap Done.
6. To undo an effect, deselect the option or tap Cancel.

Learn more ways to adjust photos

Important: Some features might not be available on your device.

• To adjust the overall lightness or darkness, tap Brightness .
• To adjust the difference in tones, tap Contrast .
• To adjust the brightest value, tap White point .
• To adjust the darkest value, tap Black point .
• To adjust the detail in the brightest areas, tap Highlights .
• To adjust the detail in the darkest areas, tap Shadows .
• To adjust the intensity of colors, tap Saturation .
• To adjust the color temperature, tap Warmth .
• To adjust the hue, tap Tint .
• To adjust the saturation of the skin-colored tones, tap Skin tone .
• To adjust the saturation of the blue tones, like sky or water, tap Blue tone .
• To adjust the local contrast of edges, tap Pop .
• To sharpen fine details, tap Sharpen .
• To smooth out noise, tap Denoise .
• To reduce the brightness around the edges of the photo, tap Vignette .
• To enhance brightness and contrast across the image for a more balanced photo, tap HDR effect .

Add a filter

1. Open the photo you want to edit.
2. Tap Edit Filters.
3. Select a filter.
4. Tap the filter again.
5. Move the dial to change the strength of the filter on the photo.
6. To undo a filter, select Original.

Draw on, highlight, or add text to a photo

1. Open the photo you want to edit.
2. Tap Edit Markup.
   • To draw, tap Pen .
   • To add highlights, tap Highlight .
   • To add text on top of a photo, tap Text .
     • To move the text box around, touch and hold it and then drag.
3. When you're finished, tap Done.
4. To save a copy of the photo with your edits, at the bottom, tap Save as copy.

Save new shots from your motion photos

When you take a motion photo of a friend or a group, Google Photos will sometimes recommend another shot from your motion photo. You can also pick your favorite shot.

1. On your Android phone or tablet, open the Google Photos app .
2. Open a motion photo.
3. Swipe up on the photo.
4. Tap Shots in this photo.
5. Scroll through the shots in your picture and pick your favorite.
   • If you took the photo with a Pixel 3, you might see recommended shots. They will have a white dot over them.
   • The original photo will have a gray dot over it.
6. To save a new photo, tap Save as copy.

Shots you save appear in your photos next to the original photo

Create a cinematic photo

Important: Your device must have at least 3 GB RAM and Android 8.0 and up.

1. On your Android device, open the Google Photos app .
2. Tap the photo you want.
3. Swipe up.
4. Tap Create Cinematic photo.
5. At the bottom, tap Save.

Tip: You can also create Cinematic photos another way:

1. On your Android device, open the Google Photos app .
2. At the top, tap Create Cinematic photo.
3. Select a photo.
4. At the bottom, tap Save.

Change date & timestamps

Important: When you change the date and time of your photo, Google Photos displays the updated date and time. If you share the photo to other apps or download it, the photo may show the original date and time saved by your camera.

1. On your Android device, open the Google Photos app .
2. Tap a photo.
3. At the top, tap More .
4. Tap the date and timestamp.
5. Choose a new date and time.
6. Tap Done.

Tips:

• Photos taken before 4 AM are sorted into the previous day.
• You can only change the date and timestamps in the Photos app for backed up photos.

Use Magic Editor

Important:

• All Photos users can use Magic Editor on Android with 10 saves each month.
  • If you want to continue saving edits made using Magic Editor after 10 saves, you’ll need to either:
    • Upgrade to a Premium Google One plan 2 TB or above. Learn how to sign up for Google One.
    • Be a Pixel user. Learn more about Photos features for Pixel devices.
• Your device must have a 64-bit chipset with at least 4 GB RAM and Android 8.0 and up.
• This feature is experimental and may not always work how you expect.

You can move around or erase parts of a photo and apply contextual presets, like “Sky” or “Golden hour.”

Edit a photo with Magic Editor

1. On your Android device, open the Google Photos app .
2. Tap on the photo that you want to edit.
3. Tap Edit Magic Editor .

Apply contextual presets

1. When you’re in Magic Editor mode, tap Preset .
2. Select a preset.
3. To scroll through your options, swipe left.
4. Tap the Checkmark .
5. If you want to continue to edit your photo, repeat steps 1-3.
6. When you’re finished with your edit, tap Save copy.

Tip: Preset options depend on your photo. Not all options are available at the same time.

Move, erase, or resize part of your photo

1. When you’re in Magic Editor mode, tap, draw a circle around, or brush to select part of your photo.
   1. Zoom in for better accuracy.
   2. To move your selection, touch and hold, and drag it to the area you want.
   3. To change the size of your selection, touch and hold, and pinch it with 2 fingers.
   4. To remove your selection, tap Erase.
2. To apply the edit, tap the Checkmark .
3. If you want to continue to edit your photo, repeat steps 1-2.
4. When you’re finished with your edit, tap Save copy.

Tip: It may take a moment for Magic Editor to generate photo options.

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