Google Photos Testing for Video Playback Speed

Google Photos is making it easier to watch your library of clips, if a new report is accurate.

An under-the-hood change in a recent app build indicates native playback speed controls, meaning you might soon be able to slow down or speed up videos without stepping outside the Photos viewer.

What the APK Reveals About Playback Speed Controls

Code found in Google Photos v7.58 introduces a Playback Speed option you can access under the three-dot overflow when watching a video. The interface apparently surfaces a bottom sheet that provides various options—0.25x, 0.5x, the default 1x, and up to 1.5x and 2x. The playback speed setting is not live for users, which suggests it is behind some sort of server-side flag, or may be part of internal testing at this time.

As is often the case with APK teardowns, these references are not confirmation of a launch. Google frequently prototypes features that hit the market weeks, if not months, later. Full UI text and a control flow probably mean this one is fairly well developed.

Why Playback Speed Controls in Google Photos Matter

For an app that is the default gallery for millions of Android devices, its absence has been less clear.

(Google’s own YouTube and Drive video players already have variable speeds, and speed controls are now a staple in productivity and accessibility across the industry.) YouTube has said that, to date, the playback speed feature is one of its most popular video controls, showing how people have become accustomed to skimming through longer recordings or slowing down action so they don’t miss anything.

Practically speaking, 2x is great for scanning through event footage or lecture videos; 0.25x and 0.5x help you analyze sports technique, catch the exact moment a child takes their first steps, and transcribe dialogue with perfect veracity in your photography. Reducing the dwell time can help some users due to auditory processing differences. With Google Photos’ user count in the billions on the Play Store, even small quality-of-life tweaks have an outsized effect.

How the Playback Speed Rollout for Google Photos Might Unfold

Google usually rolls out new Photos capabilities through server-side rollouts, typically to a subset of regions or devices before wider availability. Pixel phones tend to get features first, but there’s no indication yet that this control will be a Pixel-exclusive. A gradual rollout will be announced and tip off once the server flag flips on for a given version of the app.

If it works like other Google apps, the speed setting should remember preferences within the same session and default to standard on the next video, though they might introduce a “remember your last setting” behavior after feedback.

More Tweaks to Come as Google Refines the Photos Experience

The same code dive revealed another feature in progress: a switch to hide the date labels in the main Photos view. Strip out those separators, and the result is a continuous grid that looks very magazine-like — which some users prefer for browsing. The switch is in the settings, but it sounds like the layout work isn’t done yet.

Collectively, these changes suggest a broader effort to make Photos feel quicker and more immersive for both heavy video shooters and power scrollers. They also complement Google’s steady rollout of features to Photos’ video offering, which already contains stabilization, trimming, and granular adjustments for exposure, contrast, and color.

The Bigger Picture for Google Photos and Video Playback Speed

Bringing playback speed to Photos would further bring the gallery in line with Google’s broader ecosystem, saving you from having to jump into third-party players for rudimentary control. It also helps support some of the app’s AI-powered storytelling features: When you’re reviewing auto-generated movies, Highlights, or Memories, being able to rapidly speed up or slow down clips does make curating easier.

For users, the attraction is evident. A quick control can save you time, make something accessible, and make a normal task — looking at a video in your camera roll — feel professional. For Google, it’s a small but significant move in its effort to make Photos the one-stop shop for both organizing and actually viewing the captured moments that people increasingly need help doing each day.

What to Watch Next as Google Tests Video Playback Controls

Watch future Photos updates and patch notes for indications of activation. (If history is any guide, this could come quietly to a small group before arriving more widely.) Until then, the code points to one obvious direction: Google Photos is soon going to become a lot better at playing your videos the way you want them played.