How to Get Google Photos to Recognize a Face (Name and Fix Groups)

If you take a lot of photos of clients, team members, family or your own products being held by someone, you'll want Google Photos to sort the people for you. I get why it's frustrating when a face doesn't show up, or the same person appears in three separate groups.

I've followed Google's own help pages for this, using the iPhone version of the steps. Google updates the app often, so a menu can be worded slightly differently on your screen. Where Google's help is thin, I've said so rather than guess.

How Google Photos groups faces in the first place

Google says Face Groups works in stages. The app detects whether a photo has a face in it, creates face models if the feature is on, and then groups photos with very similar faces that are likely to show the same person. It can also use clues like photos taken close together in time, or someone wearing the same clothes when their face isn't visible.

That's why there isn't a button called Train my face. The help page gives you tools to name, merge and correct groups, and that's the whole route. It also says the feature isn't available in all regions, all domains or all account types, so if you never see a row of faces, it may simply not be offered to you.

Switching Face Groups on in the Google Photos iPhone app

1. Open the Google Photos app and sign in.
2. Tap your profile picture or initial at the top right.
3. Tap Google Photos settings, then Privacy.
4. Turn Face Groups on.

If you only want to stop pets being grouped with people, Google says you can turn off Show pets with people instead. Leave the main switch alone in that case.

One warning from Google's page: turning Face Groups off deletes your face groups, the face models used to create them and any labels you've added. Don't toggle it just to see what happens, because you'd lose the names you've entered.

Finding a person's face group and adding a name

1. Open Google Photos and tap Collections at the bottom.
2. Tap People & pets.
3. Tap the face you want.
4. Tap Add a name at the top of the group.
5. Type a name or nickname and save it.

Once a group has a name, you can use that name in search. Google says only you can see these labels, and they aren't shared when you share photos. That matters if you work with client or staff photos, because your nicknames stay private to your account.

You can also label a group as Me. Google says that helps with personalised creations, searching for yourself and seeing where you've been over time.

What to do when the same person has two Google Photos faces

Duplicate groups are the most common complaint. Google gives two ways to combine them:

• Give both groups exactly the same name. When you confirm the second label, Google Photos asks whether to merge them, and you tap Yes.
• If the app suggests a merge, answer Same, Different or Not sure.

Be careful here. Google says merges can't be undone, so check you've picked the right people before you tap Same, especially with relatives who look alike or colleagues photographed in the same outfit.

Correcting a wrong match in a Google Photos face group

Sometimes a stranger or the wrong family member lands in a group. Google says you can take a photo out without deleting it:

1. Go to Collections, then People & pets, and open the face group.
2. Tap More, then Remove results.
3. Select the photos that don't belong.
4. Tap Remove at the top.

The photo stays in your library; it just leaves that group. You can also open a single photo, swipe up to see its info, and under People & pets tap More, then Remove from this photo. Google's page also describes tools for adding a face to a photo's labels and for choosing another group or creating a new one when a match is wrong.

Keeping a face out of your Google Photos memories

Recognising faces also powers memories. If there's someone you'd rather not see, Google says you can hide them:

1. Tap your profile picture or initial, then Google Photos settings.
2. Tap Preferences, then Memories, then Hide faces.
3. Under Show less or Blocked, tap Select faces.
4. Pick the people and tap Done.

Show less means no memories about that person, though they may still appear in group photos. Blocked keeps them out of memories entirely, and Google says blocked faces are also removed from your People & pets page. To undo it, follow the same path and tap Remove next to the face.

If Google Photos isn't recognizing new faces

Google's help lists a few reasons you might not see faces: the feature is unavailable in your region, Face Groups is off, or no groups have been created yet. If groups show your older photos but not new ones, Google advises leaving Face Groups on rather than switching it off and on. Instead:

• Turn off power saving on your phone.
• Plug the phone in and open Google Photos.
• Leave it overnight, plugged in and on Wi-Fi.
• Keep the app updated.

Google doesn't promise a time limit, so be patient with a big library. While you wait, you could look back at older pictures in another place; my guide to seeing your memories on Facebook shows how that app resurfaces old photos.

Using named faces in Google Photos for your small business

Named groups save real time if you run a team, a school club or a small shop. You can search a colleague's name and pull up every event photo, or find every picture of a regular customer you've been given permission to photograph for your own records.

If you pick photos from these groups to use on camera for your business, make sure the person is happy with it. My founder on-camera confidence cheat sheet is useful when the face in the photo is your own and you want to look relaxed.

Remember that face labels are private to your account. Google's help says labels are private to each account, so a colleague won't see your names unless they set up their own.

When Google Photos still won't recognize a face

Check these in order, then stop and use Google's help centre if nothing changes:

1. Confirm Face Groups is on under Privacy.
2. Check People & pets exists in Collections.
3. Update the Google Photos app.
4. Give the app time with the phone plugged in and on Wi-Fi.
5. Use the Google Photos help centre to ask about regional or account availability.

Frequently asked questions

Can I train Google Photos to recognize my face?

Not directly. Google says Face Groups finds and groups similar faces itself. You can add a name, merge groups and remove wrong photos to guide it.

Where are my face groups in Google Photos?

On iPhone, tap Collections at the bottom, then People & pets. If you don't see it, Face Groups may be off, unavailable in your region or not created yet.

Does naming a face share it with other people?

No. Google says face groups and labels are visible only to you and aren't shared when you share photos.

Can I undo a merge of two faces?

Google says merges can't be undone, so check the faces first.

What happens if I turn Face Groups off?

Google says it deletes your face groups, the face models used to create them and any labels you added.

Can I stop one person showing in memories?

Yes. Go to Google Photos settings, Preferences, Memories, Hide faces, and choose Show less or Blocked.