Google Photos Share Sheet Change for Android 14 Users

Last month a change was spotted on Google Photos that showed Google was preparing to drop the custom share sheet the app used in favor for the system-wide one used across Android. Now, it looks like that change has begun to roll out for Google Photos users on Android 14.

The share sheet is the menu that appears when you tap the share button on your Android phone, which shows you a list of apps and people that you can share the content with. This is the case for most Android apps, however, there are some exceptions to this rule — one of those being the Google Photos app.

When attempting to share directly from Google Photos, you are instead presented with a customized version of this sheet that prioritizes sharing within this same application. In this version, you see “Send in Google Photos” at the top, followed by the names of contacts you have already shared photos or albums with, as well options to create a brand new group, use nearby share, or create a Google Photos link. While you can still choose to share to other apps, this option is pushed all the way to the bottom with very little screen real estate.

However, last month it was discovered that Google was preparing to change this in some of their own apps and opt for the more cohesive system-wide sharing system that Android offers. This would mean that, while you would still see some Google Photos-specific options at the top of the share sheet, the options to share outside of the application would now appear more front and center.

In the new version that is currently rolling out, you will now see a small preview of the selected image along with options to edit with the markup tool, links to some Google Photos-specific actions such as creating a link or adding to/creating albums, followed by the direct sharing options to external apps that the system-wide share sheet is known to facilitate. This was originally thought to debut with the public release of Android 14, but apparently is taking a little longer to roll out more widely.

Image Credit: Mishaal Rahman

According to reports, the new share sheet seems to be appearing in version 6.56 of the app for Pixel 8 Pro users on Android 14 first, while it has yet to roll out to large-screen devices such as the Pixel Fold or the Pixel Tablet. Additionally, it also appears that the new share sheet will not appear for users on Android 13 or earlier.