How to Improve Face Recognition in Google Photos

Google Photos is more than a gallery app on iPhone and Android. It has a media backup tool to find people quickly, lots of photo and video editing functions, Shared sharing, and AI-based facial recognition. However, Google Photos keeps adding and tagging the wrong photos under the wrong name. Here’s how you can fix that and improve facial recognition for your images on mobile and web.

After all, it’s an AI-based recognition in Google Photos, and it can go wrong at times. By fixing these errors, you can help the Google Photos app correctly tag people in photos.

As a responsible technology company, Google offers several options to improve facial recognition in Google Photos. This way, you fix the wrong faces detected by Google Photos and improve the overall algorithm for better results in the future.

Use Google Photos Mobile Apps

Google Photos for Android and iPhone carry the same UI/UX. The steps to improve facial recognition are the same on both platforms.

In the example below we will use the Google Photos iPhone app, but you can follow the same steps on Android for better results.

Stage 1: Open the Google Photos app on your mobile phone.

Step 2: Tap the Search icon at the bottom.

Stage 3: Select the human face that needs to be corrected.

Step 4: You’ll see all the photos of the user Google Photos has identified over the years.

Step 5: Select the problematic photos and tap the three-dot menu at the top.

Step 6: Tap on Remove results.

Step 7: Google Photos tells you, why are these results wrong for ‘X people’?

Select a relevant result and tap Submit at the bottom. Most users mark Wrong person as wrong face recognition reason.

To further enhance facial recognition, Google will ask you for ID if this person is the same person in the other images.

Tap on it and select same or Different or Not sure from the menu below. Google Photos will continue to ask for your input from different types of pictures of the person to do a better job at facial recognition.

This is very useful for photos of your kids. Face shape and style changes significantly for them compared to adults. Google Photos allows your child to have two, four, etc. He will learn how he looks at his age.

You can create a complete profile for your little one and find all the photos with one tap from the Search menu.

Use Google Photos Web

You can also perform the same actions from the Google Photos web version. Those sitting at the desk will find this method more useful. Viewing all photos on a larger canvas is easier than viewing them on a small screen on mobile devices.

Stage 1: Visit Google Photos on the web.

Step 2: Sign in using your Google account credentials.

Stage 3: It will take you to the Photos menu on the main screen.

Step 4: Click Explore from the left sidebar.

Step 5: Click on the face of the person you want to fix and Google Photos will display all the results defined in the Google Photos library.

Step 6: Select the problematic photos you want to remove.

Step 7: Click the three-dot menu at the top and select Remove results.

Similarly, on Google Photos for mobile, it will ask the reason for the removal. Choose the wrong face and continue.

Like Google Photos on mobile you have a choice like Same or different person from Google Photos. Click on it and it will take you to a photo survey and ask you to submit feedback.

Google Photos will save your entries in its database and use them to provide smart facial recognition in the future.

Another way to improve facial recognition is to upload more photos to the Google Photos cloud. The more data Google has, the better facial recognition results can be for you.

Try to upload different types of photos of a person. Some images are flat-faced, some are group shots, some are dark scenes and more. Try to train the algorithm on your own by feeding it more data.

Use Google Photos Like a Pro

Google Photos’ facial recognition is one of the best we’ve ever seen. Unfortunately, both iCloud and OneDrive lag far behind in terms of providing relevant results. You can further improve facial recognition by following the steps above and be amazed at what Google Photos can do.