Face Detection in Google Photos App Now Recognizes Cats and Dogs by Name - MacRumorsOpen MenuShow RoundupsShow Forums menuVisit ForumsOpen Sidebar
Skip to Content

Face Detection in Google Photos App Now Recognizes Cats and Dogs by Name

by

google photos e1508230156776Google updated its Photos app on Monday with a new facial recognition feature that lets users organize pictures of their family pets more easily.

Since it was launched, Google Photos has employed facial recognition to identify humans and help users sort their snaps by friend or family member, similar to how Faces works in Apple Photos.

The latest version of Google's own photos app builds on its face detection feature by recognizing cats and dogs by name, so users no longer need to type in "cat" or "dog" into the search field to bring up the relevant pictures.

Going forward, simply labeling a photo of a furry friend will cause any other photos of the cat or dog to be grouped under that name, just like they do for people.

In addition to the pet grouping feature, Google says users can also now "search by breed to see photos of your Poodle or Maine Coon", or even search using a single cat or dog emoji.

The new pet detection naturally feeds into the app's automated movie generator, found in the Assistant view, and users can create their own short films by tapping on the new photo group of their pet, selecting their favorite pictures, and tapping the "+" symbol.

Google has also included six "pet-inspired songs" to choose from in the movie editor to be twinned with four-legged family collections.

Google Photos is a free download for iPhone and iPad available on the App Store. [Direct Link]

Top Rated Comments

SmugMaverick Avatar
116 months ago
People will think this is silly, but I really want this feature to come to photos on the iphone.
LOL

Apple don't give a crap about AI, they're all about animoji as software innovation.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Chupa Chupa Avatar
116 months ago
Oh great. Now parents everywhere will be busted when Rover dies and they opt to surreptitiously swap him out to avoid giving little Sally the bad news.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
116 months ago
This must be that ‘innovation’ we’re so badly missing with our Apple devices. Call me back when google has a product that can rival a Mac.
Sarcasm noted. You do realize this is a software feature of Google Photos. So at best, your snarky comment would be better suited if you compared it to Apple's Photos app.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
116 months ago
I don't want strangers to know what I look like.
Hope you don't have a Facebook account then!
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
christarp Avatar
116 months ago
People will think this is silly, but I really want this feature to come to photos on the iphone.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
116 months ago
Yes, and Google's customers are the products that get nailed. :rolleyes:
Why do (some) Apple users think they aren't the product? Perhaps because Apple isn't AS successful with their ad network, etc?

I mean - Google pays Apple a hefty sum to be the search engine on iPhones which most people use.

Apple and Google have pretty much the same privacy policies and opt outs.

If you are an Apple user and you think you are not ALSO a product, then you're burying your head in the sand.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iOS 27 Next to iPhone

Here's When iOS 27 Rolls Out Today in Every Time Zone [Update: It's Out]

Sunday September 13, 2026 3:00 am PDT by
Update 10:04 a.m.: iOS 27 is rolling out now, though it may take a bit for all users to see it, so keep checking! Apple is about to release iOS 27, which will finally deliver more advanced Siri AI capabilities as well as a variety of other refinements, improvements, and new features to iPhones. It's Apple's biggest software update of the year, and Apple announced at Wednesday's iPhone event...
iOS 27 Icon iPhone

iOS 27 Available Now With These 8 New Features

Monday September 14, 2026 9:00 am PDT by
Update — 10 a.m. Pacific Time: Apple has released iOS 27. During its iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Duo event last week, Apple announced that iOS 27 will be released widely on Monday, September 14. iOS 27 should be available around 10 a.m. Pacific Time / 1 p.m. Eastern Time today via the Settings app, under General → Software Update. Below, we have highlighted eight new features and...
Apple iCloud Plus expansion hero

iCloud+ Now Includes Apple TV, Apple Arcade, and Curated Apple Music Stations in Over 100 Countries

Tuesday September 15, 2026 1:43 am PDT by
Apple today announced a new subscription initiative that turns paid iCloud+ subscriptions into a broader services bundle in more than 100 countries. In select countries, Apple says every paid iCloud+ plan, including the cheapest 50GB tier, now includes Apple TV and Apple Arcade "at no additional cost," while family sharing extends the storage, TV and Arcade access to up to five people....

🔗 Related Apple News & Rumors

Stay updated with the latest Apple ecosystem news and verified rumors