Key Takeaways
- Google Photos is quietly testing a new feature that gamifies photo decluttering, resembling the swipe-based interface of Tinder.
- The feature occasionally appears, unprompted, when the app detects low storage, but there’s no known way to activate it manually.
- Third-party apps like Sponge and Photo Cleaner offer similar functionality, but don’t work with cloud-based photos.
Cleaning up your Google Photos library could be about to get a whole lot more fun — if you’re one of the few users who have received a hidden Tinder-inspired feature that lets you curate your photos with a series of left and right swipes.
Users on Reddit report that Google is experimenting with a tool that gamifies photo deletion. The feature presents around 250 likely candidates for removal – such as large files or blurry images – and asks you to swipe right to keep them or left to delete. While first spotted as early as six months ago, the feature appears to be rolling out to more users recently.
The feature’s seemingly random activation is particularly curious. It appears to trigger when Google Photos detects low storage, but some users have received it even with ample storage space available – one reported seeing it with over a terabyte free. Others have been prompted to use it immediately after manually deleting a selection of photos, suggesting a somewhat unpredictable pattern of activation.
This seemingly random implementation is unusual for Google, making the feature feel more like an easter egg than a typical test. However, its convenient and familiar Tinder-style interface could prove popular with users struggling to manage their growing photo libraries. The lack of manual activation is a potential point of confusion, though, and could cause significant frustration as users try to search for the feature.
For a more predictable photo cleanup experience, consider third-party apps like Sponge – Gallery Cleaner, or Photo Cleaner: Swipewipe for iOS. Both offer similar swipe-based functionality, although they only work for local files, not those stored in the cloud.
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