It’s no secret that managing a vast collection of photos and videos on your device can be quite the task. Introduced in Android 13, Google’s Photo Picker was designed to give users more control over what media they share with apps. It allows you to precisely select which images or videos an app can access, rather than granting it full access to your gallery. This has been a big step forward in user privacy, but the feature has had its limitations.
One significant drawback of the Photo Picker has been its lack of comprehensive features compared to the older system file picker. For example, it initially lacked support for cloud media, which was only added recently. Now, users can pick media from their Google Photos libraries, but this improvement brought another issue to the forefront: the absence of a search functionality. Without the ability to search, finding specific items in a large cloud library can be cumbersome.
Currently, the Photo Picker offers two tabs: "Photos" and "Albums." The Photos tab displays your media in reverse chronological order, while the Albums tab categorizes items into Camera, Videos, Screenshots, Downloads, and Favorites. This setup works fine if your media collection is relatively small. However, for those with extensive cloud storage, navigating through thousands of images and videos can become a tedious scrolling exercise. The lack of a search function is a glaring omission, especially for a company like Google.
Thankfully, Google has heard the feedback. During the Google I/O 2024 conference, the tech giant announced that they are working on integrating a search feature into the Photo Picker. This new addition will allow users to search through both local and cloud-stored media. The update is expected to roll out “later this year,” but the exact timing remains unspecified. The newly introduced search feature is designed to help users effortlessly locate specific media, improving the overall functionality and user experience of the Photo Picker.
The upcoming search feature is eagerly awaited and is expected to be available on all OS versions that support the Photo Picker. Since the Photo Picker is built into devices running Android 11 and newer through Project Mainline and is also accessible on devices running Android 4.4 and newer via Google Play Services, this update could benefit a wide range of users. While it’s unlikely that the search will be as advanced as Google’s new AI-powered “Ask Photos” feature, it is still a valuable improvement. This update promises to make managing and sharing your media collection more seamless and efficient.