Google Photos’ latest feature lets you meme yourself

Google Photos now lets you create memes with your own images. Thursday Google introduced a new generative AI-powered feature called “Me Meme,” which lets you combine a photo template and an image of yourself to generate an image of the meme.

The new feature, which will be available for the first time to users in the US, was originally so spotted in development last October by the Android Authority blog. It was formal announced by Google via the Photos Community site on Thursday.

According to Google, the feature is experimental, so the images generated “may not perfectly match the original photo.” It suggests uploading well-lit, focused, and front-facing photos to get the best results.

The addition is meant to be a fun way to explore your photos and experiment with Google’s Gemini AI technology, and Nano Banana in particular. Google’s popular AI image model supports other AI features in the Google Photos app, such as the ability to recreate images in new styles, such as cartoons or paintings.

While it’s a fairly unserious addition all things considered, features like this help remind users to return to the Photos app when they want to play with AI tools, rather than turning to a competitor’s product.

Additionally, users tend to focus on features reflected in AI operations, as OpenAI discovered with the successful launch of the Sora app, which lets you create AI videos that can include you and your friends.

‘Me Meme’ hasn’t been fully rolled out yet, so you might not see it in your updated Google Photos app. If available, it will appear under the Create tab, Google says. A Google representative told TechCrunch that the feature will reach US iOS and Android users in the coming weeks.

To use the feature, select a template or upload your own. Then tap ‘Add Photo’ and ‘Generate’. Googling notes that more templates will be added over time. Once the AI ​​has created the image, you can save the photo, share it on other platforms, or tap ‘regenerate’ to have the image reimagined a second time.