Navigating to your photos in the Google Messages app for Android is simple, though it could be more streamlined. To begin, you’ll have to open Google Messages and select any prior message. A round button with a “plus sign [+]” icon is located to the left of the text input area. Clicking on this button reveals a range of options, including:
– Gallery
– Camera
– GIFs
– Stickers
– Files
– Location
– Contacts
– Schedule Send
When you choose the Gallery option, the most recent images and videos stored locally on your device, as displayed by the Google Photos customized media selector, will be visible. However, if you need to access your photos via the Google Photos app using the Android System photo selector, you’ll have to press the Folders button situated at the bottom of the screen. This represents an additional step if you want to see the photos stored in the cloud rather than just on your device.
Google is reportedly developing a solution to this issue, aiming to erase the additional step required to access your photos from the Google Photos app within Google Messages.
While the additional step may not bother some, it does raise a significant security concern. Google’s custom picker requires access to your full media gallery to function effectively. In contrast, Android’s photo picker allows applications to access only the photos and videos that you select. However, there is promising news — Google is said to be working on a way to allow users to access their photos from the Photos app via Google Messages without the need for the extra tap on the Folders button.
Android 16 introduces a new integrated photo picker equipped with its APIs, enabling apps to incorporate this photo picker directly into their interface. This provides app developers with a media gallery that feels native to their app, while also offering the security and privacy inherent in the Android system photo picker. This is because comprehensive media permissions no longer need to be sought. It was discovered that this embedded photo picker was present on a OnePlus 13 running OxygenOS 16.
The Gallery button, when pressed, displays cloud-hosted photos and videos together with photos and videos stored on the local device. Before the introduction of the embedded photo picker with Android 16, users would have had to take the extra step and tap the Folders button to see their cloud-hosted photos and videos from the Google Photos app.
Once the embedded photo picker is rolled out, there will be no need to grant the Google Messages app “Photos and videos” permission to share photos or videos. In fact, this permission can be revoked once the embedded photo picker is available.
What is the embedded photo picker in Android 16?
The embedded photo picker in Android 16 is a new feature that allows apps to integrate a photo picker directly into their interface. This provides a media gallery that feels native to the app while also offering improved security and privacy.
Does the Google Messages app require access to all my photos and videos?
Currently, to function effectively, Google’s custom picker requires access to your entire media gallery. However, with the forthcoming embedded photo picker feature in Android 16, this will no longer be necessary.
What is the benefit of the embedded photo picker?
The embedded photo picker will eliminate the need for users to make an extra step when accessing cloud-hosted photos and videos from the Google Photos app. Additionally, it will enhance privacy as broad media permissions will no longer be required.
