Google Photos is working on a “Show less” option for faces you see (Update: Rolling out)
- Google Photos is working on a new “Show less” option that will hide unwanted faces from surfacing Memories, without completely blocking them from being visible in group photos.
- This feature appears to be a milder version of the “Block face” option.
- Update: The “Show less” option is now rolling out to users.
Update, August 20, 2024 (07:25 AM ET): Google is finally rolling out the “Show less” option to hide unwanted faces from surfacing Memories without completely blocking them from group photos. Google has a new support page that explains the difference between the Block and Show less options. People who are Blocked will not appear in memories or group photos, while the Show less option will hide them from memories but keep them around in group photos.
Original article, May 1, 2024 (03:30 AM ET): Google Photos has several neat features that make it one of the best photo storage apps around. The service has an uncanny ability to spot faces, and it gets it right most of the time, even in very challenging situations. These faces are then used for several features, like People Search and Memories. But sometimes, as your life evolves, you’d want to see less of some faces, especially in Memories. Google Photos is preparing to make that happen, giving you more control of which faces you see regularly through the Memories feature.
Android Authority contributor Assemble Debug spotted an upcoming feature in Google Photos v6.81.0.628906483. You will soon be able to use a “Show less” option to have a face not show up in your Memories but still be visible in your group photos. This appears to be a milder version of the “Block face” option, which makes faces completely disappear from Memories and group photos.
The “People & Pets” section in Google Photos, where you name the faces that appear in your photos, will have a new “Hide face from memories” section, as you can see in the first screenshot above. Adding a face to the section will open the dialog box in the second screenshot.
A new settings flow will also be created to accommodate the change. You will be able to access it through Settings > Preferences > Memories > Hide people & pets.
This new feature is not currently live within the app. Google is currently testing the feature within the app, so it may roll out in the future. It’s not clear if and when this rolls out, but considering its utility in keeping some unpleasant memories away, we hope to see it roll out soon.