Rita El Khoury / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Older Pixel devices have started seeing Google’s Magic Editor without a Google One subscription.
- Google had previously announced that it would be rolling out free access to its AI photo editing tools.
- Non-Pixel users will have limited free use of Magic Editor, while Pixel owners get unlimited access.
Google is making its AI-powered photo editing tools available to a much wider audience. Initially restricted to Pixel 8 series owners and paying Google One subscribers, features like Magic Editor, Magic Eraser, and Unblur are now being rolled out to a broader user base.
This change was initially announced last month, with Google stating the rollout would begin on May 15. Now, evidence of this rollout is emerging, with a Reddit thread (h/t: 9to5Google) surfacing in which many Pixel 7 and Pixel 6 series phone users, in particular, are reporting they’ve already started seeing the Magic Editor feature without a Google One subscription.
Magic Editor is truly a magical tool that users can use to move, resize, or erase elements from their photos, as well as apply creative presets. However, this wider access comes with a caveat: non-Pixel users are limited to 10 free saves per month unless they subscribe to a premium Google One plan (2TB and above). Pixel owners, on the other hand, enjoy unlimited usage.
Google will also roll out additional AI-powered editing features to all Google Photos users, including Magic Eraser, Photo Unblur, HDR effect, Portrait Light, Color Pop, and Sky suggestions, etc. Google Photos users on Android, iOS, and Chrome OS should be able to access these tools for free “over the coming months.”