Google Photos Memories Widget Incoming: You Can Never Escape

Google Photos has a feature in which the system intelligently gathers and surfaces sets of photos called "Memories." Users are notified that Google Photos created a "Memory" for them – usually a gallery of images – that they'll then be encouraged to look through and interact with. This smart system allows Google Photos to remain active in the minds and on the screens of users even when the user isn't usually taking the time to sort through, look at, download, or share their photos in the Google Photos system.

With the Memories system, Google remains comfy and current on all users that have the Google Photos app on their smartphone or tablet. In October of 2020, Google released an iOS update for Google Photos that allowed users to have a homescreen widget with Memories inside. Android users have no such widget as of this moment.

To further keep the attention of Google Photos users on Android, there'll be an update to the app that'll deliver an Android version of said widget – or so the code for the app suggests. Per an APK teardown by XDA developers, there's a Google Photos "Photos Widget" in the mix.

The Photos Widget as it stands today looks to resurrect memories from exactly 1 year ago "this week". It's likely the options will expand with this feature by the time it's made public in Google Photos for Android. For now, the code exists, the code is in the latest update for Android, but the code does not allow the app itself to create a widget – not just yet.

Take a peek at the timeline below for more information on how Google Photos has been updated recently and info on where it's going next – with your photos, or without your photos if you've just realized the term limit for the original Pixel Phone is done.