14 DAY TRIAL // Google Photos already allows you to print pictures from $0.25 each, but it looks like the service is about to get a new subscription-based option that further expand the printing offering.
The search giant is reportedly testing a monthly subscription service that will allow Google Photos to print images and send them to paying customers by mail every month.
The $7.99 subscription service would include 10 physical prints that Google itself picks from the pictures uploaded to Google Photos, with the company currently evaluating three different categories, namely people and pets, landscapes and outdoors, and a full mix of your gallery. Users would technically be allowed to choose the categories they want the prints to be picked from, but Google will still select the photos using a custom algorithm.
Program currently in invite-only beta testing
Additional controls would still be offered to users, such as small editing options, while Google will then take care of everything else, including the printing itself and the shipping to your mailbox.
The service is currently in beta-testing in the United States, and according to the linked report, only invited users can give it a try. While you can’t do anything to make sure you’re invited, it’s believed that Google picks beta testers from people who previously paid for prints in Google Photos as part of the existing options.
If you’re lucky enough to be selected for the program, you should see a notification at the top of the screen when you log in to Google Photos.
Of course, Google has remained tight-lipped on everything, so it’ll be interesting to see how this idea is improved, especially because a subscription-based model for photos that you can’t pick might not be everyone’s cup of tea.