Google Photos does a surprisingly good job of recapping the year with Gemini

If you've been on social media this week, you know it's the era of end-of-year recaps. Spotify And Apple Music have launched their respective featurettes to summarize your music listening. And now it's time for Google to launch its retrospective version of Google Photos. People seem happy so far. It reveals the most memorable moments of the year as Google's algorithms interpret them. But the Your ReCap feature, as it is aptly named, has two versions: one with Gemini and one without.

The first version is the basic summary. It offers insights based on the visual trends of your photos, including the photos you've taken the most, compiled using the facial recognition data you already have agreed to feed via Google Photos and what your vibes were like. There is also another option that reveals your color palette for the year. For now, I only have access to this one. If you're curious, the dominant shades in my photos are blue, green and red. I'm shocked that it was as colorful as it turned out.

Then there is an AI-based feature that you can unlock as long as you prioritize Gemini. If you're in the United States, you can choose to receive a version of your recap with custom captions. It'll turn heads if they're anything like the personalized AI podcast that Spotify released earlier this week in partnership with Google's NotebookLM. But so far, the cringe factor seems to be zero. People on Topics And Blue sky seem to like what Gemini-infused Google is offering.

Google didn't serve up my Gemini-led recap of the year. I just opted for the option this morning after the news went live. I'm curious if AI will take over my epic trip this summer to see my favorite Dutch artist and what it will say about the time I spent with my daughter. I was hoping to work on it now, but algorithms often run at their own pace. Sometimes you shouldn't rush things.

You can also sign up if you're curious to see what Gemini spits out. Tap your Google profile photo at the top of the Google Photos app, then tap Settings Photos. Below Preferencespress Gemini Features in Photosthen activate Memories powered by Gemini. The summary has started rolling out and will remain in the app carousel until January.