Google Photos users can now access their year-end Recap, the photo-hosting site’s own version of something akin to Spotify Wrapped. Like other annual reviews, the Google Photos Recap lets you look back on your past year in photos, offering a combination of memorable highlights enhanced with graphics and other effects, plus photo stats and more.
U.S. users will also gain access to a new feature powered by Google’s AI, Gemini, which will showcase your hobbies and other top highlights, the company says.
First introduced in 2024, Google Photos Recap aims to capitalize on the data-powered review trend, popularized by services like Spotify Wrapped, and, in past decades, by time-traveling apps like Timehop.
However, this year, the Google Photos Recap also serves as a testing ground for Gemini, as the company unleashes the AI on your photo archive to help surface more of the moments you might like to review. Google says that Gemini models can understand the context of your photos to pull out more details. Specifically, the models were used to identify things like your “one true passion” and the other top four highlights that “made your year” in the Recap.
In addition, the recap will offer photo stats from the year, like total photo count, top people, and, new for this year, a total selfie count. The feature also now lets you hide specific people or photos. After doing so, you can then regenerate your Recap for an updated version.
The photos and memories from the Recap can be easily shared on social media and elsewhere. A new integration with CapCut will add a button at the end of the Recap to export it to the photo and video editing app, where you can use other Google Photos templates to customize the Recap further.
There’s also a new carousel at the end of the Recap containing short videos, photos, and collages designed for sharing to group chats or social media. One option even allows you to share your Recap directly to your WhatsApp Status.
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If you don’t immediately see your Recap, you can request Google Photos to generate it for you using an option at the top of the app. After viewing the Recap, it will remain in your app throughout the month of December. To access it again during this time, you can find it either in the back of your Memories carousel or pinned in your Collections tab.
In addition to the annual review, Google Photos will release a series of 2025 highlights throughout the month of December, the company noted.
