Google is enhancing user control over the generative AI photo-to-video feature within its Photos app. According to an update announcement on Monday, Google Photos now supports text prompts for video generation, empowering users to describe specific actions, styles, or effects they wish to see, thereby bringing static images to life.

The text prompt feature joins the existing "Subtle Motion" and "I'm Feeling Lucky" options within Google Photos' image-to-video tool. However, these previous tools did not allow users to input their own descriptions to guide the outcome. Google states that Photos will offer prompt suggestions to "instantly generate video inspiration," and the text prompts can be edited to fine-tune the generated videos.

This new text prompt functionality is restricted to users aged 18 and above. It's important to note that this age limit applies specifically to the image-to-video tool within Google Photos. The same text prompt capability has been available in Gemini for some time and is accessible to all users aged 13 and older. The addition of descriptive prompts brings Google Photos' image-to-video tool closer in functionality to competitor xAI's Grok editor, a tool which has faced criticism for being misused to digitally remove clothing from photos of real people and children.

It's worth noting that generative AI features in Google Photos are not yet available in all regions, and specific functionalities may vary by location. Users can consult Google's support page for more information on current limitations.

The recent update also introduces the ability for Google Photos users to include audio by default in all videos created with the image-to-video function. This means the generated videos are ready for online sharing without requiring additional editing. In a separate enhancement, Google has launched a new Gmail Photos picker. This feature simplifies the process of sharing photos and videos from albums, favorites, and shared albums via email. It allows users to select multiple photos and videos simultaneously and search for specific photos or album names.