Summary

  • A bug prevented Google Photos users from saving Magic Editor edits.
  • Google has fixed the issue, allowing users to save their AI-enhanced images again.
  • Google Photos offers 10 monthly free Magic Editor saves to all users.

Google Photos is one of the best cloud-based media backup and management services. Over the years, Google has continuously improved the platform with thoughtful enhancements and powerful AI-driven features like Magic Eraser and Magic Editor. When using these AI-powered features, you must manually save the image as a copy after making the changes. However, a bug prevented Google Photos users from saving their Magic Editor-modified pictures. Google has now addressed the issue, allowing you to save your AI-enhanced images again.

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The bug appears to have been present for the past couple of months, but it largely escaped media attention. It prevented Google Photos users from saving photos edited with Magic Editor, as the ‘Save Copy’ button was missing. This made it impossible for them to preserve their changes.

Google has now acknowledged the bug and confirmed that it is rolling out a fix for the problem. Below is the statement a Google Photos team member posted on the support forums:

Hi everyone,

We appreciate your feedback regarding issues with editing and saving in Magic Editor. We’ve rolled out a fix, and you should now be able to save your edits seamlessly. We’re committed to making Magic Editor the best it can be and your contributions are a vital part of that process.

So, if you’ve been unable to save your Magic Editor-edited photos, it’s worth trying again. I didn’t personally encounter the bug, but the ‘Save copy’ button is now working as expected on my end.

Google offers free 10 Magic Editor-powered edits to all Google Photos users. To gain access to unlimited saves and additional filters and effects, you must pay for the Google One Premium plan, which costs $10/month.

Random bugs are common in Google’s ecosystem

Weird bugs are part and parcel of using Google’s services, and if you encountered this one, chalk it up as just another quirk in the experience.

While it’s a minor issue, Google should also address the lack of a way to check how many free Magic Editor edits you have left each month in the Google Photos app for Android or iOS. This should help users better utilize their monthly quota of 10 edits.