TL;DR
An APK teardown of Google Photos (v7.58) uncovered a playback speed selector and a new option to hide dates in the photo grid. Both features are under development and there is no confirmed public rollout date.
What happened
Researchers at Android Authority enabled hidden code in an APK teardown of Google Photos version 7.58 and uncovered two user-facing changes currently under development. First, a playback speed control would appear in the three-dot menu when playing a video, offering five speed presets: 0.25x, 0.5x, 1x, 1.5x and 2x. There is no live demo available, but the control is expected to behave like similar tools on streaming platforms. Second, a new “Show dates in Grid” toggle for the Photos view would let users hide or show date labels in the grid. Hiding dates produces a cleaner, more continuous layout, but the teardown indicates a trade-off: when dates are hidden you can no longer use tap-and-hold to bulk-select all items captured on a specific date. The features were discovered in development code; Google has not confirmed availability or a timeline.
Why it matters
- Playback speed controls let users review long clips faster or examine footage in slow motion without third-party apps.
- A grid date toggle gives users more control over visual density and the look of their photo library.
- Hiding dates changes selection behavior, which could affect workflows like quickly grouping or exporting photos from the same day.
- These additions show Google Photos continuing to add incremental viewing and organizational options that users often request.
Key facts
- Android Authority enabled the features after an APK teardown of Google Photos version 7.58.
- The playback speed option appears in the three-dot menu while playing a video.
- Speed presets discovered: 0.25x, 0.5x, 1x, 1.5x and 2x.
- A new 'Show dates in Grid' toggle will live in the Photos view menu and can hide date labels in the grid.
- Hiding dates removes the ability to bulk-select every photo and video from a specific date via tap-and-hold.
- No live demo of the playback speed feature has been published in the source.
- There is no confirmed public release date or rollout timeline for these features.
- Google Photos has more than 10 billion downloads on the Google Play Store, per the source.
What to watch next
- Whether Google confirms and announces an official rollout schedule for these features or keeps them behind staged releases.
- If the playback speeds apply uniformly across all video formats and resolutions or whether limitations appear during broader testing.
- not confirmed in the source: whether the same features will appear on iOS or in Google Photos web.
Quick glossary
- APK teardown: The practice of examining an Android app package (APK) file to reveal code, resources, and hidden features not yet exposed to users.
- Playback speed: A setting that adjusts how quickly or slowly a video plays relative to its recorded speed (for example, 0.5x is half speed).
- Grid view: A layout that displays photos and videos as a grid of thumbnails, typically used for browsing a collection.
- Tap-and-hold: A touch gesture where the user presses and holds on an item to trigger selection mode or additional actions.
Reader FAQ
Is the playback speed feature available to all users now?
No. It was found in development code via an APK teardown; public availability is not confirmed in the source.
How do you access the new controls in Google Photos?
In the teardown they appear in the three-dot menu while playing a video (playback speed) and in the Photos view menu (Show dates in Grid), but wider distribution is not confirmed in the source.
Will hiding dates stop me from selecting photos by date?
Yes. The source indicates that hiding dates removes the ability to use tap-and-hold to bulk-select every photo and video captured on a specific date.
When will these features be released?
not confirmed in the source
Google Photos is readying a handy new playback feature By Rahul Naskar Published 31 minutes ago Rahul Naskar has years of experience writing news and features related to Android, phones,…
Sources
- Google Photos is readying a handy new playback feature
- You can disable grid autoplay in Google Photos for Android
- New Google Leak Reveals Much-Needed Google Photos …
- Changing the playback speed of a slow motion video
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