A highlight Google Photos feature could be up for a rebrand, coming alongside these fixes

Google rolled out a redesigned video editor in the Photos app in December last year, which added the option to create quick videos from existing photos or short clips. The feature, called Highlight video, may soon get additional features, alongside a new name.

Along with this, Google is testing other minor changes that should make life easier for users.

Google has been working on new features for its Highlight video feature in Google Photos, including an option to sync video cuts to beats in the background music. Now, we’ve spotted evidence suggesting Google might be looking to rename the feature entirely.

We’ve seen references to a new “Video maker” feature in version 7.98 of Google Photos. While the change isn’t live, we back-engineered the app to enable the new branding across different sections of the Photos app.

The feature’s new name appears on the menu that opens when you select multiple images and choose the Create option (denoted by the + icon) from the home screen, when switching to the dedicated Create tab in the app, or when you use the Gemini-backed Help me create feature.

The consistent branding across multiple screens indicates Google might roll out the change soon, but we can’t say that with certainty.

Along with this, Google appears to be testing more changes. The first one is the ability to disable music from being added to your Memories. Currently, the Google Photos app automatically picks music to add to your Memories (which show up like stories on the app’s home page), and supplements it with an option to turn off music from within the memory.

Now, it appears to be testing a toggle to turn off music entirely. This specific “Background music” toggle would likely appear under Photo settings > Preferences > Memories.

The third feature we’ve discovered Google is working on lets you change how Motion Photos appear on the photo grid much more easily. Currently, if you want to disable Motion Photos from auto-playing, you must do so under Photo settings > Preferences > Photo grid playback. However, with this upcoming change we spotted, you’ll have a handy shortcut to this setting from the three-dot button at the top of a photo grid.

Under these settings, you will spot a new Show Motion Preview toggle that works the same way as the existing option, which will also continue to exist.

All of these changes are currently being tested and won’t appear for all users until Google starts rolling them out. We’ll keep you updated when that happens.