How to get on Google's 'Ask Photos' waitlist for iPhone

AppleInsider

Apple iPhone users can now join the waitlist for Google's new feature that brings AI-powered, natural language search to Google Photos. Here's how to sign up.

Google Photos

The company first announced Ask Photos at its annual I/O conference in May. It's now providing a waitlist to sign up for the feature.

Powered by Google's Gemini AI models, it aims to make finding specific memories easier by understanding the context within your photo collection. It helps you rediscover specific moments or locations without scrolling through your gallery.

Once enabled, the "Ask" tab appears as the last option in the Google Photos app. The interface is chat-like. If you prefer, you can also switch back to the classic search mode.

The system displays its processing steps, cycling through "Thinking," "Searching," and "Reviewing" before delivering results.

Users can provide additional clues to refine the results if the search isn't accurate. For example, you can nudge the AI by providing more specific details about the context of the photos you're searching for.

Ask Photos

The feature also allows for automatic actions, like recommending the best photos from a birthday party for a shared album or summarizing highlights from a recent trip.

Privacy considerations

Google has addressed potential privacy concerns with Ask Photos. The company assures users that their photo data won't be used for advertising.

To enhance privacy, any questions that humans review are disconnected from the user's Google Account. Google also states that humans don't review photos and videos unless feedback is provided or, in rare cases, to address potential abuse.

How to join the early access waitlist

To gain access to Ask Photos, users can sign up through Google Labs, where the feature is being tested. It's currently limited to a select group of US users.

AppleInsider will be evaluating it as it is made available to us.



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kamyk35

Privacy considerations

Google has addressed potential privacy concerns with Ask Photos. The company assures users that their photo data won't be used for advertising.

🤣🤣🤣

Are there people that really believe that?

gatorguy

kamyk35 said:

Privacy considerations

Google has addressed potential privacy concerns with Ask Photos. The company assures users that their photo data won't be used for advertising.

ߤ㰟䣰藍

Are there people that really believe that?

There sure are.

Lawyers are anxiously waiting in the wings to sue Google for $Billions if there's any indication they're lying. 

chasm

Even if I believed that they won’t use “photo data” (what does that mean specifically? Why not just say “your photos”?) for “advertising,” that doesn’t mean they won’t SELL that data to other entities.

With a plethora of other entities that will store your photos and not use weasel phrasing in their ToS, I guess my real question would be “how dumb do you have to be to give the world’s largest search engine and online advertising agency your personal photos? Or your personal anything, for that matter?”

gatorguy

chasm said:

Even if I believed that they won’t use “photo data” (what does that mean specifically? Why not just say “your photos”?) for “advertising,” that doesn’t mean they won’t SELL that data to other entities.

They don't promise not to break down your front door or poison your puppy either. LOL!

But you make a great point about selling your personal data.  Now all you have to do is show us evidence of all those other times Google has sold personal data in order to make your comment an honest one. I mean, you've actually checked before saying so, right? You wouldn't make stuff up. 

Easy-peesy to prove for a thorough researcher like you, right?  


(Hey... Pssst... Over here Chasm.  Don't tell anyone I'm helping you figure things out, but have a lookie. I think there's something Google says about selling your data:
https://policies.google.com/privacy#infosharing)

hammeroftruth

gatorguy said:

kamyk35 said:

Privacy considerations

Google has addressed potential privacy concerns with Ask Photos. The company assures users that their photo data won't be used for advertising.

ߤ㰟䣰藍

Are there people that really believe that?

There sure are.

Lawyers are anxiously waiting in the wings to sue Google for $Billions if there's any indication they're lying. 

I think the mistrust goes back to 2012 when they agreed to pay a record $22.5 million civil penalty to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that it misrepresented to users of Apple Inc.’s Safari Internet browser that it would not place tracking “cookies” or serve targeted ads to those users, violating an earlier privacy settlement between the company and the FTC.

Source:  https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2012/08/google-will-pay-225-million-settle-ftc-charges-it-misrepresented-privacy-assurances-users-apples

gatorguy

hammeroftruth said:

gatorguy said:

kamyk35 said:

Privacy considerations

Google has addressed potential privacy concerns with Ask Photos. The company assures users that their photo data won't be used for advertising.

ߤ㰟䣰藍

Are there people that really believe that?

There sure are.

Lawyers are anxiously waiting in the wings to sue Google for $Billions if there's any indication they're lying. 

I think the mistrust goes back to 2012 when they agreed to pay a record $22.5 million civil penalty to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that it misrepresented to users of Apple Inc.’s Safari Internet browser that it would not place tracking “cookies” or serve targeted ads to those users, violating an earlier privacy settlement between the company and the FTC.

Source:  https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2012/08/google-will-pay-225-million-settle-ftc-charges-it-misrepresented-privacy-assurances-users-apples

Essentially correct. The fine was for offering incorrect information on how to opt-out. That's not selling data, but definitely not a shining moment from last decade. 

zeus423

Hard pass 

macxpress

Yeah I'm not letting Google scan my photos and sell them or the data to the highest bidder. I'll keep my photos safe and sound inside iCloud thank you very much. Never touching anything Google with a 10ft pole. And why does Google need to copy everything Apple does...even their icon looks like iOS's photos icon. 

gatorguy

macxpress said:

Yeah I'm not letting Google scan my photos and sell them or the data to the highest bidder. 

That's good you feel that way. So does Google (and so does Apple). They won't do it either.

Something to be aware of though:
Neither company's Privacy Policy that prevents it applies to what they consider "anonymized" data, and thus no longer personally identifiable, at least in the form Apple and Google use it. They are both upfront on that, though it's not one of those high profile points. 

So while neither company would sell what they know, they are still valuable protected company assets. What was once-upon-a-time your identifiable data could still end up being used for the company's own business purposes you might prefer it not be if you knew whether it factually impacts you or not.