Your photos can now follow instructions
How to use the new text prompts in Photo to video
- Open your Google Photos app and head to the “Create” tab.
- Select the “Photo to video” option and pick the picture you want to animate.
- You will now see three options instead of two:
- Text Prompt (New): Type in exactly what you want the subjects in your photo to do.
- Subtle movement: The classic option for adding gentle, photorealistic motion like a smile or a slight tilt.
- I’m feeling lucky: The “surprise me” button that adds more energetic movement or fun effects like confetti.
The system uses Google’s advanced video models to understand the objects in your photo, ensuring that when you ask for “blowing wind,” it knows to move the trees and not the house.
Why this makes your photo library more fun
Video credit — Google
When “Photo to video” first arrived in July 2025, it was a bit of a party trick (impressive, but limited). You could make a portrait “come alive” with a blink or a nod, but you couldn’t really direct the action. By adding text prompts, Google is moving toward a more professional style of editing that anyone can use.
This puts Google Photos in a unique spot compared to other gallery apps. While competitors often offer “looping” effects or simple 3D tilts, this feature actually creates brand-new video frames based on your words.
Taking the director’s chair
I’ve been a fan of the “Subtle movement” option since it launched because it adds a touch of magic to old family photos. However, having the ability to actually tell the app what to do changes everything. I can see myself using this to make clouds move in a landscape shot or to make my dog’s tail wag in a still photo where he was actually sitting perfectly still.
