Google adds chat to Google Photos app – e-Why, What, & How

These days, photos are much more than a way to keep fond memories. They are the talking point on many social media platforms. Google is finally catching up to this fact with the introduction of a new chat feature in its Photos application.

Since its launch in 2015, the only way users of Google photos could share photos within the app was by creating an entire album with a link they can share with other users. Now Google has announced a new way for users to share pictures seamlessly using the app’s new private messaging feature built directly into Google Photos for Android & iOS devices.

With this new feature, when you want to share a video or photos via Google Photos, you have the option of adding it to a private conversation right within the app. You can send the photo or video along with a message directly to a friend as long as they have the app installed.

Google says you can turn that into a conversation thread as well. Users will be able to respond to messages or simply react to the photos by sharing or liking it as the case may be. You can start a group chat involving as many friends as you want & members in the group will be able to share their own photos, comment & like photos as well.

From your main libraries, you can start a new chat using the share button under the photo you wish to send. You will also be able to see existing chats on the “share” tab as well. Google says this feature is not meant to replace the regular chat apps that users are already familiar with, the goal is to improve the overall experience of users on Google Photos. However, with its potentially large user base & a product with such a social edge to it, only time will time if this new feature will morph into a chat app or standalone photo-sharing platform in the near or distant future. This feature is already rolling out on all mobile platforms & the web & all users should have access to it before the end of December.