Over the last few months, Google Photos has been quietly rolling out new features, and another one will be available shortly, expanding Portrait mode beyond your typical single subject. Unfortunately, like last year’s Pixel-exclusive Photo editing tools, this new Portrait Blur will only be available for Pixels and Google One users via the Google Photos Android app.
Prior to Google Photos Portrait Blur, Portrait Mode was only available for human images. Now, it’s available for a considerably wider range of subjects. Portrait Blur can attract focus and blur away crowded backgrounds in everything from images of animal pets you’re continually sending to your grandkids to that great meal you’re enjoying on vacation to the flowers in your yard coming into bloom this month.
This function isn’t limited to fresh pictures, either. You’ll be able to use it on any suitable photo once it’s available on your Android phone. This means you can take Portrait mode photos of your first puppy just as easily as the one you should be scritching behind the ears right now, providing you tagged their photos for easier reminiscing. Because this is performed after the photo is taken rather than during it, you can revert the snapshot to its original condition if the Portrait mode fails.
This is just one of the many announcements Google dropped today, including a new screen time widget, iMessage reaction support for Google Messages, an expansion of Gboard grammar check to all Android devices, and lots more, all rolling out in the coming weeks.