Google Photos users might have been excited when they heard that Google was bringing conversational photo editing to the app. However, users in some states have yet to receive the new Ask Photos feature. And now, according to a report from the Houston Chronicle, it doesn’t appear to have been a bug. Instead, Google has told the Houston Chronicle that the feature is not currently available in Texas or Illinois. However, Google has yet to share any details about why this might be the case, though there has been some speculation as to the reasoning.
Most notably, the Houston Chronicle points out that both Texas and Illinois have rather strict rules about how data can be used, stored, and even retained. Plus, the tech giant has reportedly run on the wrong side of Texas’ laws in the past. So, it could be a situation where Google would just prefer to play it safe. However, without any official comment, we might never know the actual reason why the feature is missing.
Still plenty of AI in Google’s apps
Despite whatever the reasoning might be, there’s still plenty you can do with AI in Google’s various apps. Gemini itself is still available, and the Nano Banana image editor can be found in many of Google’s apps, too. Nano Banana might even make an appearance in Google Messages soon. Additionally, Google recently brought Nano Banana to Google Search, and it doesn’t look like the image editor has seen any kind of restrictions in Texas or other states on that front. As such, there’s no clear picture being painted as to why these states don’t have access to the feature in Google Photos.
Perhaps Google will provide an explanation for its decision down the line. For now, though, Pixel 10 and Google Photos users alike in both Illinois and Texas will need to make the most of the editing app’s other features without conversational AI.
