Google Adds New Photo Widgets for Sharing Your Memories

Google has begun rolling out a couple of new widgets for Photos on Android, which will make it easier to share your favorite snapshots in new and interesting ways.

'Tis the season for sharing pictures of your favorite people, pets, and memories, so why not try something a little different? Google has announced a pair of widget updates that will give you some new methods of displaying and sharing your photos with your Android phone.

First up is a new People & Pets widget, which supplements Google Photos Memories. People & Pets will let you select friends and family members—of either the bipedal or furry variety—and display photos of them on your home screen. You'll also be able to tap on the displayed home screen photos to jump straight into the Photos app.

Cinematic Photos is also on the receiving end of a new update, which Google believes will improve the photo effects even more. Now Cinematic Photos will utilize machine learning to fill in the background behind the subject, allowing you to move the virtual camera to reframe the shot. It may sound like a fancy way to drop a photo, but it's actually simulating 3D movement so you can change how the perceived angles of the photo.

The new widget updates are planned to start rolling out this week, though Google hasn't specified an exact date yet.