Along with the A.I.-powered changes coming to the Google Photos app, Google today also announced a new way for developers to work with Google Photos’ service. The company is launching a developer API that will allow other apps and services access to connect to, upload to, and share to a users’ Google Photos library, as well as a Partners Program for Google Photos.
Early partners include HP, Legacy Republic, NixPlay, Xero and TimeHop.
“This is really about allowing users to use their content across the apps and products that they own or that they love – to take that magic of Google Photos and make it helpful to them wherever they need it,” said Google Photos Product Manager Ben Greenwood.
The Google Photos Library API lets developers help users easily find photos based on what’s in the photo, where it was taken or other attributes; upload directly to users’ library; organize albums and add titles and locations; and use shared albums to collaborate and transfer photos.
Google is kicking off the launch of the new API by showcasing a handful of developers who are already adopting the technology.
One is a smart photo frame maker called Nixplay, whose device can link to your Google Photos account in order to access your shared albums and display them on frame’s screen. (This could help address an issue with other frame makers as well – sometimes the frame is nice, but the software to configure it is not so pretty.)
Another API partner is the accounting and expensing software Xero, which will be able to connect to your Google Photos account to do automatic receipt matching. That is, all you’ll have to do is take a photo of a receipt and it does the rest.
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A company called Legacy Republic, which offers photo digitization services to consumers will use the API to upload its scans right to your Google Photos account.
“Not only does this collaboration further our shared mission of offering consumers a single, A.I.-powered platform for a lifetime of memories, it’s also a critical step forward in realizing Legacy Republic’s vision of reinventing photo commerce,” said Brian Knapp, co-founder & CEO of Legacy Republic, in a statement. “Imagine photos of your wedding day automatically resurfacing on your anniversary – side by side with those of your parents’ and grandparents’ – all through your Google Photos account. With Legacy Republic’s Memory Makeovers and the Google Photos platform, this supercharged type of ‘Then and Now’ offering will soon become a reality,” he added.
The Google Photos Library API is launching into developer preview, Google announced today at its I/O conference. It will then become generally available in a few months’ time. In the meantime, Google is offering developer documentation and sign-up for the Google Photos partner program.
