Google adds toggle to revert to classic Google Photos search

In a slight capitulation to users who prefer to avoid AI in everyday applications, Google is offering a toggle that allows users of its Google Photos app to return to the previous, classic search experience. This update directly addresses user dissatisfaction with the newer AI-powered search option, known as Ask Photos. While Google previously provided an option to disable the use of its Gemini AI model within Google Photos, that setting was buried in the application’s settings and was often overlooked by users. To resolve this, the company is introducing a more visible and accessible toggle button directly on the search screen, allowing users to easily turn the Ask Photos AI search off and view classic results instead. Google noted that it will still lead with whichever results best fit the user’s query, regardless of the toggle’s position.

The Ask Photos feature, which launched in the U.S. in 2024, was designed to let users search their photo libraries using natural language queries. However, the product’s rollout was briefly paused last summer as Google worked to address user feedback regarding latency issues. Even after the rollout resumed, some users never warmed up to the AI-powered experience. These users complained that Ask Photos still failed to find some of their photos and that the searches were less accurate than the classic search experience they were accustomed to.

Google Photos lead Shimrit Ben-Yair announced the update and acknowledged the ongoing user feedback. “We’ve heard your feedback that you want more control over the type of results you see when searching in Google Photos,” Ben-Yair stated in a post on X. She noted that the company has also improved the quality of some of the most popular searches based on user input. Ben-Yair emphasized that search is one of the most loved and used features in the app, and stated that the company is committed to getting the experience right, urging users to keep the feedback coming to help build a more magical experience for everyone.

Why it matters

This update underscores the friction between deploying generative AI in established consumer apps and maintaining the performance reliability users expect from legacy tools.