Google Photos Adds Video Speed and AI Enhance for Android

Google has introduced two long-awaited features to its Photos app for Android users, enhancing video playback and photo editing capabilities. The updates, which began rolling out this week, include adjustable video speeds and a one-tap AI enhancement tool, addressing frequent user requests for more intuitive media handling.

The video playback speed control allows users to adjust the tempo of clips from 0.25 times normal speed up to twice as fast. To access it, users open a video in the Google Photos app, tap the three vertical dots in the upper right corner, and select "Playback speed" from the menu. Options include 0.25x, 0.5x, the default 1x, 1.5x, and 2x. Once chosen, the speed applies to subsequent viewings of that video, though it resets to normal for new sessions. Google described this as a top community request in an announcement on its support page, noting that the feature had been in beta testing earlier this year before arriving in the stable version.

Alongside the video tool, Google launched the "AI Enhance" button, positioned at the bottom center of photo views. Tapping it uses artificial intelligence to automatically adjust lighting, color balance, and sharpness,...