Google adding local and Cloud Search to Android Photo Picker

Google will soon add much-needed search functionality to the Android Photo Picker. The absence of this basic function has been causing a lot of friction for Android device users since Android 13.

Why does Android Photo Picker lack a Search function?

The Android Operating System has a lot of room to grow, especially in terms of security and privacy. However, Google had improved the Android Photo Picker to ensure apps and services didn’t have access to the entire Photo Gallery app and all its contents.

Before Android 13, users had to grant apps full access to the media gallery even if just one image was needed. In other words, apps could waltz into the Gallery app even if they needed access to one or two items.

To address this security and privacy concern, Google created the Photo Picker API in Android 13. This limited-access API lets users choose exactly which media items to share with an app that’s requesting access.

Although the Photo Picker app worked well in limiting apps’ access to the media gallery, it lacked a simple yet critical function. Google is now reportedly remedying the same by adding the Search function to the Android Photo Picker API.

Local and cloud search function for Photo Picker

Android smartphone users have enjoyed large onboard storage capacities. Hence, most of the users choose to store their photos and videos locally.

For such users, the Android Photo Picker API doesn’t cause much hindrance. Currently, Photo Picker has two tabs: “Photos” and “Albums”. For multimedia stored locally, this may be sufficient. However, users may still have to scroll extensively and carefully to locate their desired content

The issue is exacerbated for users who are increasingly relying on cloud storage services. Managing media stored in the cloud is quite cumbersome because Photo Picker doesn’t offer a way to search through cloud libraries like Google Photos.

As Google offers both, Google Photos and Android Photo Picker, it isn’t clear why the company omitted the Search function. Google has now reportedly confirmed that the Photo Picker API in Android will allow users to search media stored locally and in the cloud.

Which Android versions will get searched in Photo Picker?

Google has merely confirmed that the Photo Picker API will get a search function. The company hasn’t indicated any timeline for the deployment of the feature but did mention the feature will roll out later this year.

The Photo Picker is one of the actively used features. Hence, Google could add the search function to several Android versions.

The Photo Picker is currently available natively on all devices running Android 11 and above. However, owing to continuous updates to the Google Play Services, devices running older versions of Android, going back to Android 4.4, have the Photo Picker API. It would be interesting to see if Google adds the AI-driven search function it recently unveiled.

May 17, 2024