One of the standout features of Google Photos has always been its powerful search function, but recent updates, driven by the company’s AI focus, have introduced a new and, at times, frustrating search experience. While impressive, this new AI-powered search can feel slower and less practical for day-to-day use. However, there’s a lesser-known shortcut that lets users quickly return to the classic search mode.
Last year, Google Photos launched “Ask Photos,” an AI-enhanced search feature that allows users to ask more complex questions using natural language.While this feature offers greater depth than the traditional search, it’s also slower and may not be as practical for regular searches.
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What many users might not know is that there’s a simple shortcut to instantly switch to the classic search mode in Google Photos. By double-tapping the search icon, you’ll be taken straight into classic search, even though the interface still shows “Ask” as the active tab. This shortcut is common across many Android apps and typically opens a search box on a dedicated search tab, but it’s especially useful in Google Photos, where it quickly takes you to the search mode you’re most likely to use.
Unfortunately, this shortcut doesn’t work in the iPhone version of Google Photos. On iOS, double-tapping the search icon will only bring up the search box when you’re already on the search tab, and even then, it defaults to the “Ask Photos” search, making the shortcut less practical on that platform.