Android Photo Picker Gets a Search Bar to Find Your Images Faster

07/07/2025 Mobile

Sharing photos on Android is usually a breeze. You tap "share," pick an app, and send it off. However, finding the right photo can sometimes feel like searching for a needle in a haystack. I've definitely been there, scrolling endlessly through my gallery, trying to remember when I took that one specific picture.

That's why I think the update Google's rolling out to the Android Photo Picker is a big deal. If you're not familiar with it, the Photo Picker is a privacy-focused way to share images. Instead of giving apps full access to your entire photo library, you grant them access only to the specific images you choose. This is important for privacy, and I appreciate that Google is focusing on this aspect.

Google introduced the Photo Picker a while back, but it was missing some key features that made people hesitant to use it. Namely, it didn't have a search bar! This meant scrolling through endless photos to find what you wanted. It was quite a hassle. The good news is that Google is finally adding a search bar to the Photo Picker. Now, you can simply type in what you're looking for, and the Photo Picker will display matching images.

I've heard from some users that the search bar has already started appearing on their devices. It seems like it's a server-side update, so it's rolling out gradually. It appears above the "Photos" and "Collections" tabs. When you tap it, the keyboard pops up, and you can search through your local and cloud media. It even shows your recent searches and suggested queries, which is a nice touch. Sure, it might not be as fancy as the "Ask Photos" feature in Google Photos, but it's a welcome addition.

Another useful feature Google is working on is a date scrubber. If you know roughly when a photo was taken, the date scrubber will let you quickly jump to that month or year. It's similar to the one in Google Photos. I don't have an exact date for when it will be released, but I'm looking forward to it.

While the search bar is rolling out now, it seems to be reaching a limited number of users. So far, it appears to be mainly Pixel users on Android 16, but it’s probably not tied to a specific OS version. Keep your Google Play System Update and Google Photos app updated to be on the safe side. I think these updates will make sharing photos on Android even easier and more convenient.