Your Google Photos library is about to get far less cluttered

Get ready for a cleaner, more organized Google Photos experience very soon. Recent finds from AssembleDebug (via PiunikaWeb) point to a major update that should help every single Google Photos user who feels a tad bit overwhelmed by their image library’s continual collecting of not only treasured memories, but one-time use items like memes, screenshots and GIFs.

<string name="photos_allphotos_gridcontrols_hide_clutter_base_filter_setting_title">Hide clutter</string>
<string name="photos_allphotos_gridcontrols_hide_clutter_base_filter_setting_subtitle">Backed-up photos like screenshots, GIFs, and memes are hidden</string>

New code strings in the Google Photos app indicate a setting titled “Hide Clutter” will soon arrive to help us all get rid of these sorts of files in our uploaded photos. While it doesn’t look like they will be auto-deleted, they’ll be conveniently hidden off to themselves, letting you focus on the photos that actually matter. Those memes and screenshots will still be in a designated album if you need them or simply rounded up for mass deletion should you choose.

While I love – LOVE – the auto-backup feature of Google Photos, my library is an absolute mess of good photos, test photos, random golf swing videos (you train best when you see what you are actually doing), screen grabs, memes and more. I personally cannot wait for this new “Hide Clutter” option to arrive and help me at least comb out the stuff I know doesn’t belong.

Combine this with the recently added “Photo Stacks” feature for grouping similar photos together, and it might turn out that my Google Photos library has hope of getting organized despite my lack of attention to it. With Google Photos easily being one of Google’s best products, it’s encouraging to see them add features that aren’t just silly patches, but truly useful changes. Crossing my fingers that this arrives sooner than later.