Summary

  • Google Photos’ Magic Editor may soon be available for free, with a monthly save quota or unlimited saves with a paid Google One plan.
  • The tool is currently Pixel 8 exclusive but may expand to other Android devices, as all processing happens on the cloud.
  • Offering a free tier of Magic Editor could attract more One subscribers and compel users to upgrade for unlimited access to the feature.



Magic Editor is one of the best photo-editing tools available in Google Photos. Available exclusively on the Pixel 8 series, it allows you to move the subject around, remove unwanted objects, resize subjects, change the color of the sky, and more — all after taking the picture. Besides being Pixel 8 exclusive, Magic Editor requires you to subscribe to a 2TB or higher Google One plan. Google could soon make Magic Editor available to a lot more Android devices without even needing a One subscription, though with a catch.


The Google Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro laying next to each other on a desk mat, with sunlight gently hitting the backs of both devices.

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A teardown of the latest Google Photos APK by Android Authority hints at some significant changes to Magic Editor’s availability. A hidden string in the app indicates Google could make Magic Editor available for free, offering it as a part of an AI feature from Labs.

The catch is that there will be a quota of saves every month, meaning you can only save a certain number of photos edited with Magic Editor. For unlimited saves, you must subscribe to a premium Google One plan.

Make editing even easier with a new AI experience from Labs. Remove distractions, move your subjects around, improve backgrounds, and more. You can save %s edited photos every month or subscribe to a Google One Premium plan for unlimited saves.

Additional strings in the Google Photos beta suggest that the free saves quota will automatically reset at the beginning of each month. Once you have exhausted the available quota, Photos will prompt you to upgrade to a paid One plan with 2TB or more space.




A free Magic Editor tier could help Google gain more One subscribers

Google photo logo overlaid on an image of blurred traffic

Google expanded Magic Eraser’s availability to non-Pixel devices with Google One, so it won’t be surprising if the company takes the same approach with Magic Editor. While the tool is currently marketed as a Pixel 8 exclusive, the processing happens entirely in the cloud. So, the device you take the photo from or use Magic Editor on does not affect its functionality.

By offering a free tier of Magic Editor and expanding its availability to non-Pixel devices, Google could give non-paying One users a taste of the feature. This could eventually compel many of them to upgrade to a premium Google One tier for unlimited access to the tool.