Google Photos tests expanded video editor and face retouch on Android

Google is testing a suite of new editing and organization tools for Google Photos, with clues appearing in a recent teardown of the Android app and a separate feature already available on iPhone. The changes, discovered in version 7.49 of the Android app and in updates to the iOS app this spring, include an expanded video text editor, a face retouch option, a faster way to locate albums, and a manual photo-stacking feature that remains available only on iOS for now.

The most visible addition in the Android test build is a more capable video text editor. Where the current tool limits users to a single static font and seven basic colors, the test interface offers multiple font styles, full text alignment controls, a dramatically larger color palette and a background highlight option to improve contrast. The layout and stylistic choices echo text tools common in other social apps, and the new controls are designed to give creators finer control over overlays and caption styling. The test build does not yet include an eyedropper or automatic color-suggestion tool.

Alongside text enhancements, the app code reveals other potential features. References to blemish, teeth and dark...