Google Photos is about to feel a lot busier. With the latest app update, a new Create tab is starting to appear on Android and iOS, giving users quick access to a suite of photo and video tools. The update is rolling out now with version 7.40 but has not reached all users yet.

Google Photos puts creation tools front and center

After trimming the bottom navigation to just three icons earlier this year, Google is now sliding a new option into the mix. Sitting between Collections and the Ask feature, the Create tab is marked with a paintbrush icon and is designed to spotlight editing and remix tools.

The top spot currently highlights the photo-to-video feature. Below that, users will see a grid titled Your tools, offering shortcuts to all available creative modes.

What you can do inside the Google Photos Create tab

The new section feels like a hub for casual creativity. The tools inside it are not new, but now they live in one place. All the cards show visual previews, which helps explain what each one does, though the autoplay feature makes the page feel a bit chaotic.

Here is what you will find:

• Animations that stitch selected photos or videos into a GIF
• Cinematic photos that apply a subtle 3D effect
• Collages with multiple layouts and styles
• Highlight videos set to music using selected clips and pictures
• Photo to video, which turns an image into a six second animated scene
• Remix, which can apply effects like anime styles

Google is still rolling out Remix, so some users might not see it yet. Under the tools grid, there is a template carousel with sixteen collage layouts, followed by a Highlight video section that lets you start from suggested people, places, or activities.

Google still keeps the plus menu

Even with the new tab, the existing plus menu in the upper right corner is sticking around. This menu focuses more on starting a new album or ordering prints, but it repeats several items from the Create tab. You can still find shortcuts to Collage, Cinematic photo, Highlight video, Animation, and Photo to video.

There is a bit of overlap now, though it seems Google is trying to separate quick creation tools from broader app functions.

Google Photos might be getting louder

Between autoplaying previews and an expanding set of features, the new Create tab is both useful and noisy. It shows Google is pushing Photos to become more than just storage. This is a creative toolset that wants your attention.

The polish is optional. The templates are not.