Google Photos is going to the dogs. And that's a good thing, because it means it'll now automatically recognize photos of your pets, just like it recognizes your human family and friends. Want to make quick videos starring only your cat? As Google shows, it's easy now.
Google's announcement for the service is dripping with puns explaining this "paw-some" and fun facial recognition "oppawtunity," which extends to both cats and dogs.
The service has long been able to recognize types of animals and specific breeds – even going so far as to let you search for them with emoji – but this update stands out for its specificity.
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You can now label your furry family by name within Google so long as you have a good shot of their faces, which should make it easier for your Macavity to stand out from all the rest of the cats in the new People & Pets section.
Kind of, anyway. In a statement to BuzzFeed, Google pointed out that the service still has a bit of a tough time distinguishing two animals from the same breed. That means that it should have no problems telling Old Yeller from Spuds MacKenzie, but it might get confused if you're especially fond of Yorkies.
"This is just the start," a Google spokesperson said, "and that if you have a number of pets that are the same breed (such as a few yellow Labs), you might need to help the app by removing photos of a misgrouped pet, so the app can tell Lassie from Fido."
The feature will be available in "most countries" starting today.
