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MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., January 13, 2026 – Google Photos users are voicing widespread frustration with the “Ask” feature, an AI-powered search tool intended to offer more natural query results. A recent Reddit thread, garnering over 1,300 upvotes, highlights a chorus of complaints about the feature’s performance.
Users Slam Google Photos’ “Ask” as a Downgrade
Many Google Photos users report that the new “Ask” search function returns significantly fewer results than the previous search method.
- Introduced over a year ago, “Ask Photos” aimed to improve search functionality with AI.
- Google paused the initial rollout in June of last year due to negative user feedback.
- Despite tweaks, users continue to report poor performance and a preference for the original search.
- Turning off “Ask” is possible, but disables related editing features.
The rollout of “Ask Photos” has been rocky, to say the least. After its initial introduction a little over a year ago, Google paused the rollout in June of last year due to negative user feedback.
To revert to the classic Google Photos search, follow these steps on both Android and iOS:
- Open Google Photos
- Tap yoru profile icon, then select “Photos settings” or “Google photos settings.”
- Tap “Preferences.”
- Tap “Gemini features in Photos.”
- Toggle the “Ask Photos” option off.
With “Ask Photos” disabled, the familiar search functionality will be restored. Keep in mind that disabling “Ask” also turns off its editing capabilities, such as the “Help Me Edit” feature , which allows for image editing via text or voice commands. If you utilize this feature, leaving “
