At the annual Made by Google event held on August 20, 2025, the company unveiled a revolutionary feature for the Google Photos app — “Edit by Request.” According to TechCrunch, the new tool allows users to edit images using either voice commands or text descriptions, making the process accessible even to beginners. The feature, powered by Google’s Gemini AI, is already rolling out to Android and iOS devices.
What can “Edit by Request” do?The new feature uses Gemini’s natural language processing to understand commands. Users can give both precise instructions and general suggestions. Examples include:
Specific commands: “Remove the cars in the background,” “Make the sky brighter,” “Erase the shadow from the person.” General commands: “Restore this old photo,” “Make it better.”The tool is suitable for:
Basic editing: Adjusting brightness, contrast, removing unwanted objects. Creative tasks: Changing the background, adding objects (such as sunglasses or a party hat to a person). Automatic enhancements: The command “Make it better” triggers an automatic optimization based on the photo’s content.For users who struggle to phrase their requests, the app offers improvement suggestions. It also supports step-by-step editing, allowing details to be refined through follow-up commands.
Who is it for?“Edit by Request” is designed for people without experience in professional photo editors like Photoshop or Lightroom. With its intuitive interface and voice-control support, it makes photo editing accessible to everyone.
“The feature is meant to help those who don’t have deep knowledge of traditional photo-editing software,” TechCrunch notes.
Integration with Gemini enables the handling of complex tasks, such as restoring old photos or changing composition, without requiring users to understand the technical aspects of image processing.
How does it work?The user speaks or types a command such as: “Add a sunset in the background” or “Remove people from the frame.” Gemini analyzes the photo and performs the requested task while keeping the image natural-looking. If the result needs refining, users can give follow-up instructions, like: “Make the sunset brighter.”
The feature supports both voice and text input, making it convenient for smartphone use. The app also remembers context, enabling progressive improvements to a single image.
Availability“Edit by Request” has already launched, though its rollout is gradual. Android and iOS users will gain access in the coming weeks depending on their region and Google Photos app version. An internet connection is required, as the processing takes place on Google’s servers.
Why does it matter?The new Google Photos feature illustrates how AI is reshaping everyday tasks. The ability to edit photos with voice or simple text commands removes barriers for users unfamiliar with professional software. It also highlights Google’s leadership in AI, with Gemini competing successfully with other neural networks like DALL·E or MidJourney in image-editing tasks.
However, as with other AI tools, users should expect occasional inaccuracies. Complex requests may require several iterations to achieve the perfect result.
In short…Google has introduced “Edit by Request” for Google Photos — a Gemini-powered tool that lets users edit images through voice or text commands. It simplifies both basic tasks (brightness adjustments, object removal) and creative ones (background changes, adding elements). Launched on August 20, 2025, the feature makes photo editing accessible to everyone, without the need for professional skills. Rollout has begun on Android and iOS, and users will soon be able to try Google’s new voice-controlled “Photoshop.”
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