Google has finally rolled out the long-awaited mirror (flip) feature for its popular photo backup and editing service, Google Photos, for Android users. Users can now easily flip their photos, but this feature is currently exclusive to the Android app.

Why did Google take so long?

Despite having advanced AI-powered editing tools, Google Photos did not offer one of the most basic editing options—mirror flipping. Users had to rely on third-party apps to flip their photos. In September 2024, Google briefly tested this feature with some users, but then pulled it back. After a four-month wait, the feature is now officially available.

The mirror flip feature in Google Photos has been added to the “crop” tab in the editing menu. Users can flip their photos left to right or top to bottom with just one tap.

However, there are some important points to note:

• The feature only applies to photos, not videos.
• It is currently only available on Android devices; no announcement has been made for iOS or the web version.
• The update is being rolled out gradually server-side, so if it’s not visible yet, it should become active within a few days.

Google Photos is known for advanced features like Magic Editor, HDR effects, and AI-powered portrait editing. However, the delayed addition of even the simplest editing functions has been frequently criticized by users. It is known that Google is working on AI-powered new features to make its photo editing tools more comprehensive.

Do you think this new feature was one of Google Photos’ biggest missing functions? Are you waiting for it to come to iOS and the web? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments!