Fix ‘Google Photos Face Recognition Not Working’ issue

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Google Photos is the most popular online service for storing and sharing photos. Even though Google Photos is now a paid service, most of its users have ‘Google Photos Face Recognition Not Working’, which is impressive to say the least. You still get 15GB of shared storage.

Photos, which is made by Google, also has a lot of software goodies. Face recognition is one of these impressive services that has been around for a while. Face recognition is easy to use in general, but it doesn’t seem to work for everyone, especially when it comes to tagging old photos. Today, we’ll look at the problem and tell you how you could make Google Photos’ face recognition work in all situations.

Fix ‘Google Photos Face Recognition Not Working’ issue

Check Google Photos settings

Usually, if you change devices and sign in with the same Google Account, everything should move over. Google Photos is a cloud-based service. However, some users report that the issues with Face Grouping started after they either changed the device or when they switched from Original to Storage saver update quality.

1. Open Google Photos.
2. Tap on the account icon at the top right corner and open Photos settings.
3. Open Group similar faces.
4. Enable Face grouping.
5. Now, get back and open Search.
6. Next to People (or People & Pets), select View all.
7. Click on the 3-dots menu in the Search bar and open Hide & show people.
8. Tap on photos of hidden faces to un-hide people.

Clear cache from Google Photos

If the problems don’t go away, try clearing the cache in the Android app for Google Photos. This is a long-shot solution because we think the problem is on the server side and has little to do with the apps or devices you use to access Google Photos. Still, you can give it a try because there is a small chance that face recognition is working but the results are not showing up in the app.

1. Open Settings.
2. Select Apps.
3. Open Photos.
4. Tap Storage.
5. Clear the cache, restart your device, and check for improvements.

Check for Updates

Google often releases updates for its products. It is possible that you haven’t updated your application for more than a month, and now it is showing signs of aging. Updating can fix any ongoing issues, including this pesky face recognition one. Follow these steps to update Google Photos.

1. Open the App Drawer and then tap on Play Store.
2. Now search for Google Photos and tap on the first result.
3. Click on Update.
4. It will take a few minutes, depending on your internet connection.

Add Photos to an Album

1. Open the App Drawer and go to Google Photos.
2. Now, tap on Library at the bottom right corner.
3. In the next window, scroll down and click on Create Album.
4. Now copy all photos from every other album and put them into this.

Check Settings for Any Disorders

On Smartphone

1. Open Google Photos and tap on your Account icon (Your Face) at the top-right corner.
2. In the next window, click on Photos Settings.
3. Now tap on Group Similar Faces.
4. Check the toggle beside Face Grouping is turned on. If it is off, turn it on.

For iPhone

1. On your iPhone or iPad, open the Google Photos app.
2. At the top right, tap your account profile photo.
3. Tap Photos settings → Group similar faces.
4. Turn on Face grouping if it isn’t on already.
5. Under “No face labeled as Me,” tap Choose.
6. Select your face. Tap Ok. This will automatically turn on Help contacts to recognize your face.

On Web

Doing the same thing on a PC browser is pretty straightforward.

1. Open Google Photos by clicking this link.
2. Click on Settings (Gear Shaped Icon) on the top right corner.
3. Scroll down a bit and expand Group Similar Faces.
4. Check whether the option is turned on or not. If it is off, simply toggle it to On

How Does It Work

The face recognition system in Google Photos isn’t perfect, but it does make your life easier. It scans your photos and finds the people in them. Then, it sends each photo to a folder for each person. You have to make the folders and name them yourself. Google Photos will take care of the rest.

Sometimes, it will make mistakes. It might think that your wife’s sister is your wife or that you are your brother. It can also tell who else is in the photo besides the main subject. If that happens, you’ll have to take the pictures off by hand. If your Google Photos don’t already have facial recognition, you will need to turn it on first.

FAQs