Say farewell to the Library tab in Google Photos, as Google introduces a new feature called Collections, designed to simplify the process of finding your photos. Collections brings all your albums together in one place, including your private albums, shared albums, and new folders for categories like people, pets, documents, and places.

These changes seem to be paving the way for Google's upcoming Gemini-powered Ask Photos assistant, expected to launch this summer. Additionally, the search tab has received a redesign, now featuring a list of suggested categories like Screenshots, Selfies, and Menus instead of the old image tiles.

The Collections tab, which takes the place of the Library tab but keeps the bookshelf-style icon, is currently rolling out to Android and iOS users. However, it may take a few weeks for the update to reach all devices.

In the Collections tab, users can tap on Albums to switch between different views such as “All,” “Shared with me,” and “My albums.” The "Favorites" and "Trash" folders are prominently displayed at the top, while other tiles will rotate based on frequently accessed items. Following user feedback, Locked Folders will no longer be suggested at the top of the Collections view.

The Utilities folder is being removed, but its tools are simply relocated. For instance, creating a Locked Folder can now be done by scrolling to the bottom of Collections. The "+" symbol now houses options for importing images and creating albums, collages, and highlight videos. Other tasks, like freeing up space and managing photo frames, are accessible by tapping your Google Photos account profile.

This update represents a significant change in how Google Photos is organized, aiming to enhance user experience as it continues to evolve.