Google Photos now lets you avoid seeing unwanted people in your memories

Old photos popping up of a friend you've fallen out with or an ex who broke up with you can definitely dampen your day. However, Google Photos is planning to address this issue by filtering out unwanted memories.

Google Photos is a useful tool for safely and systematically saving all our photos and videos. It allows users to create albums, share life's key moments with loved ones, and even print cherished memories. Google Photos Memories are highly interactive and customizable. Whilst they are created automatically, producing collections based on events, trips or themes they do allow users to personalize them. The platform emphasizes special occasions, provides robust privacy controls to hide sensitive content, and supports dynamic displays on devices like Google Nest Hub.

Like some social networks, such as Snapchat or Facebook, Google Photos occasionally brings up memories from a year or more ago. Often, these photos are endearing reminders of last summer's beach vacation or your little one's first steps, who has grown so much since then. However, some memories can be jarring or upsetting when they appear without us wanting them to. This could be particularly awkward if a photo of your ex pops up when you've moved on with someone new. Or imagine seeing a friend you've distanced yourself from or a recently deceased loved one. Depending on the photos, these memories can make users feel nostalgic or even deeply sad, which is not the intention. In order to solve this problem, a new version of Google Photos will allow users to exclude certain faces from the highlights that often appear on our smartphones.

So, how can you avoid seeing old photos of your last romantic partner now that you're single? To make use of this new feature and exclude faces and people you no longer want to see, you will simply need to designate them to be left out of future algorithms. You will have two options: to show a face less often in memories or to block it completely. You have the possibility to select multiple photos at the same time.

It is also worth noting that this functionality does already exist in the "memories" section of Google Photos. It is possible to hide a specific date, memory, or person you no longer wish to see. This new option to "see less often" offers an additional way to filter your digital memories. Additionally, this customization enhances user experience by making photo browsing more pleasant and also respects the dynamic nature of personal relationships and life changes. With these tools, Google Photos helps users maintain a digital photo album that adapts to their evolving preferences.