Google Photos could soon give you more tools to make your Memories shine

At a glance:

• Google is testing a richer video‑editing workflow for Memories in Photos version 7.78.0.920664585.
• Highlight video will soon let users apply per‑photo filters and choose a “Fit” or “Fill” layout for 9:16 screens.
• A new hub inside the Photos app is being prototyped to collect collages, remixes, animations and cinematic photos.

New editing workflow for memories

Google Photos has long let users curate “Memories” – automatically assembled collections based on dates, faces or locations. Until now the only video‑editing options were a binary choice to include the auto‑selected soundtrack and a simple selection of which pictures to keep. In a recent APK teardown of version 7.78.0.920664585, researchers uncovered a hidden flag that unlocks a full‑featured editor identical to the one used for the existing Highlight video feature.

With this editor, users can fine‑tune the audio track, add custom text overlays, and control the duration each image stays on screen. The workflow is accessed by toggling a developer‑style setting, after which the app presents the familiar timeline view where clips can be trimmed, reordered or given individual transitions. This move signals Google’s intent to give power users deeper creative control without leaving the mobile app.

Highlight video enhancements

Alongside the Memories overhaul, the Highlight video pipeline is also being expanded. Two specific upgrades were identified:

1. Custom filter per photo – creators can now assign distinct visual filters to each frame, breaking the monotony of a single‑look slideshow and adding artistic variety.
2. Fit vs. Fill option – a new UI button lets users decide whether a portrait‑oriented image should be letterboxed (“Fit”) or stretched to cover the full 9:16 canvas (“Fill”). This mirrors common social‑media story formats and gives more flexibility for portrait‑heavy libraries.

Both changes are tucked behind the same experimental flag and will likely roll out gradually once Google validates performance and user‑feedback metrics.

Central hub for creations

The teardown also revealed a planned “Creation hub” within Google Photos. Rather than scattering collages, animated GIFs, remixed images and cinematic‑photo outputs across disparate menus, the hub will aggregate all such artifacts in a single library view. Users can browse, share or delete items from one place, streamlining the post‑creation workflow. While the exact navigation path is still hidden, the code suggests a new tab on the bottom navigation bar labeled something akin to “My creations”.

As with any pre‑release feature, the final UI and naming may evolve, but the underlying intent is clear: Google wants Photos to become a one‑stop shop for casual editing, social sharing and personal archiving.

What this means for Android users

For Android power users, the ability to toggle these flags via a simple ADB command or a hidden settings menu opens a sandbox for experimentation. Early adopters can now produce polished memory videos that rival third‑party editors, potentially reducing the need for separate apps. However, because the features are still under test, stability may vary and some devices could encounter performance hiccups when rendering longer timelines with per‑photo filters.

Google has not announced a public rollout timetable, but the presence of these flags in a stable‑track build suggests a public release could arrive later this year, especially if internal metrics show strong engagement.