Tech
Video editing on Android just got a lot better with a Google Photos upgrade
Previously exclusive to iOS users, now the much loved enhanced editing suite will help the Android and Google Pixel crowd out.
It looks like with the help of a server-side update, Android users will finally get better video editing features for Google Photos. This improved suite of editing tools was exclusive to iOS previously but now some owners of Google’s Pixel and other Android phones are seeing the new features in Google Photos, according to Android Police.
With this development, users can do more to their videos than just trim, rotate, and stabilize the angles; they can crop their videos, export separate frames, fix the horizon in images, and more. In other words: Android users now have a solid alternative to the built-in video editing tools in iOS’s Photos app and iMovie.
To enhance visual quality, the upgraded Google Photos lets you increase darkness, brightness, warm hues, vignettes, contrast differences, and other options. You can also slap on a filter, if you're so inclined. Though the new video editing tools are free for all Google Photos users, make no mistake: This is an effort to get users to see more value in new features and ultimately pay for them as a subscription in the future.
Of course, there are some limitations. At the time of writing this, for example, Google doesn't let you combine clips and create short movies but here’s hoping these features are added in a future update.
In February, Google announced that it would introduce more advanced machine learning to Google Photos. Back then it noted: “There are now more than 30 controls, but a good place to start is with cropping and straightening the frame to focus more on the subject. And if the scene is poorly exposed, you can adjust the brightness to make your video shine.” Now Google is delivering them.
What else you should know — In June, Google plans to officially end access to unlimited photo storage. You'll have to pay for storage that exceeds 15GB. The company has already placed some of its editing services behind a paywall. In that case, the Pixel-exclusive features are being offered to Google One subscribers only.
These features will help subscribers enhance their portraits with Portrait Blur, Light, Color Pop, and other effects. We're not saying you should ditch your plans to buy a fancy DSLR, but these editing features for Google One subscribers increase your chances to try get pro-level editing with minimal effort. For Android users and Google Pixel owners, it must be nice to finally edit like the iOS crowd.
