Gmail for iPhone and iPad is getting a useful quality-of-life upgrade with the introduction of a dedicated Google Photos picker. The new feature is designed to make sharing photos and videos quicker and more seamless when composing emails on iOS devices, especially for users who rely heavily on Google Photos as their primary media library.
With this update, users composing an email will notice a new Google Photos option inside the Attachment menu. Until now, Gmail on iOS has offered attachment sources such as Drive, Files, Camera, and Photos, with the Photos option opening Apple’s system photo picker. The newly added Google Photos entry sits alongside these options and opens a custom interface powered directly by the user’s Google Photos account.
The biggest advantage of the new picker is how tightly it is integrated with the signed-in Gmail account. Because it automatically uses the same account credentials, there is no need for additional authentication steps or permission prompts. Users can instantly browse and attach photos or videos stored in their Google Photos library, reducing friction and saving time during email composition.
The interface itself is designed to feel familiar to anyone who regularly uses Google Photos. A search bar at the top allows users to quickly locate specific images or videos. Search results can match album names and also surface recent searches, which is useful for people who frequently attach similar content, such as work-related images or shared albums. Below the search bar, a grid layout displays media items in a clean, scrollable view.
Another practical addition is support for multi-selection. Users can select multiple photos and videos in one go before attaching them to an email. This is particularly helpful when sharing event photos, documents captured as images, or short video clips, as it removes the need to attach files one by one.
While this functionality may feel new to iOS users, it is not entirely unfamiliar within the Gmail ecosystem. A similar experience has already been available on Android through the system Photo Picker, which allows direct access to Google Photos content. Bringing a comparable feature to iOS helps create a more consistent cross-platform experience for Gmail users.
At the moment, Google has announced the feature for iOS without detailing a precise rollout timeline, so availability may vary depending on region and app version. As with many Gmail updates, it is likely being released gradually. Users who do not see the new Google Photos option immediately may need to wait for a server-side switch or ensure they are running the latest version of the Gmail app.
Overall, the new Google Photos picker is a small but meaningful upgrade. It simplifies media sharing, reduces unnecessary steps, and aligns Gmail on iOS more closely with how Android users already interact with their photo libraries. For users who frequently send photos or videos via email, this update should make Gmail on iPhone and iPad noticeably more convenient to use.
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