After complaints, Google will make it easier to disable gen AI search in Photos

After complaints, Google will make it easier to disable gen AI search in Photos

After complaints, Google will make it easier to disable gen AI search in Photos

https://arstechnica.com/ai/2026/03/google-backtracks-on-ai-search-in-photos-adds-toggle-for-fast-classic-search/

Publish Date: 2026-03-10 14:37:00

Source Domain: arstechnica.com

  • Google’s extensive integration of AI, particularly its Gemini technology, has caused significant annoyance for users, especially in Google Photos.
  • Google Photos initially launched a Gemini-powered search feature called Ask Photos in 2024, which aimed to enhance natural language search but proved to be slow and error-prone.
  • User feedback overwhelmingly criticized the Ask Photos feature due to its inefficiency compared to the traditional search method.
  • As a response to the complaints, Google has decided to reinstate a simple toggle allowing users to switch back to the classic search experience.
  • Despite pausing the full rollout of Ask Photos in summer 2025 for improvements, the new feature remains imperfect, reinforcing the decision to revert to the previous search system.