Google Photos is getting a major AI upgrade — and iPhone users are finally part of it. The update introduces new editing, creative, and search tools powered by Google’s Gemini AI, including the debut of its new model, Nano Banana. We first saw Nano Banana in the Gemini app earlier this summer.
Nano Banana is now built directly into the Google Photos editor. Users can describe what they want — for example, “turn this into a Renaissance painting” or “make this look like a children’s book illustration” — and Photos will restyle the image automatically.
The update also expands “Help me edit” to iOS, letting iPhone and iPad users type or say requests like “remove sunglasses” or “fix a smile” to make realistic edits without manually adjusting sliders. This feature debuted in September for Android users first, on Pixel devices.
Alongside that, iOS users get the redesigned photo editor, which adds gesture-based controls, one-tap suggestions, and natural language editing for faster touch-ups.
Google is also introducing a new “Create with AI” tab, starting on Android in the U.S. and India, that offers ready-made templates for quick edits — like “create a professional headshot” or “put me in a winter holiday card.”
Later this year, Photos will add personalized templates that draw on your gallery and hobbies to generate custom edits such as “make a cartoon of me and my dog.”
The Ask Photos feature — which lets you search your photo library using natural language — is also expanding to over 100 countries and 17 new languages. A new “Ask” button within the photo viewer can now answer questions about a photo, find related moments, or even make quick edits with a simple prompt. Google first announced this feature at Google I/O back in 2024.
Canadians will get the new Nano Banana AI editor inside Google Photos, plus access to the expanded Ask Photos feature that lets you search your library using natural language. However, features like AI editing by voice or text on iOS, the Create with AI templates, and the new Ask button inside photos are launching in the U.S. first before expanding to Canada later.
While Google continues to surge ahead with its Gemini AI making it easier to edit photos, Apple is taking its sweet time with Apple Intelligence and releasing a $320+ iPhone sock instead.
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