Google Photos has finally caught up with a feature that iOS has had for years. A new Copy button is now introduced in the Google Photos share sheet. This allows you to copy an image directly to the clipboard without having to download it to your device first (via Android Authority).
What exactly does the new Google Photos feature do?
Until now, sharing a photo from Google Photos wasn’t that easy. First, you had to save the image locally on your phone, which meant you had to wait for it to download before you could actually send it anywhere.
Now one can argue that a second of waiting doesn’t sound like much. However, Google Photos users had to go through the same process every time. That’s one second multiplied by the number of times you try to share a photo each day.
The new Copy button found on several devices running the latest Google Photos version (7.71.0.895417930) removes this friction. You can simply tap Share on any image, click the new Copy button, and the photo will land on your phone’s clipboard, where you can paste it into a messaging app, a note-taking app, or wherever you want it.
Is there a catch to the new Google Photos feature?
Unfortunately, yes, and I would rather you know it in advance than notice it later. The copied image is not a pixel-perfect copy of the original. To make the process quick and efficient, Google Photos copies a compressed version of the image at a slightly reduced resolution.
The new “Copy” button is completely sufficient for occasional sharing. However, I wouldn’t recommend relying on the feature for professional use or printing. It’s better to invest those few extra seconds and download the entire file.
On the bright side, Google Photos’ new copy button also works for videos. Additionally, if you use Gboard, copied media appears in the keyboard clipboard and stays there even if you copied something else.
