Last month, Google showcased its plans for the visual update of Google Photos (available on both Android and iOS). The redesign significantly changes two core aspects of the app, namely, the Library and Sharing tabs.
For the Library tab, Google introduced a significant simplification of the UI. The latter consists of a grid of recent albums (Camera Roll, Favorites etc.) followed by a list of shortcuts that can be used to access other sections such as archived content, recently deleted photos and others.
The proposed design is undoubtedly a step back in terms of sheer functionality. Most notably, there is no way beside a filter to distinguish between the content that is on the device and the one that is in the cloud.
Some users will appreciate the minimalistic approach undertaken, with the loss of complexity being off-set by a more sleek layout. For others, the trade-off is going to be less popular. Whatever the verdict on the new design of the Library tab, the more sophisticated structure and organization of content in the Sharing Tab is sure to be a welcome addition.
Google is confident in the new Sharing Tab so that part of the update is going forward, as planned. For the Library tab, however, Google is taking a step back and considering further changes, as 9to5Google reports. Google does tend to pay attention to the feedback of users, so some tweaks are entirely possible.
Interestingly enough, the visual update was already sighted on some iOS devices. As of now, however, the app has been reverted back to its old layout. It seems the final version of the Google Photos update is still some time away.
