Google Photos will soon let you shoot pictures on your phone and get prints the same day

Google Photos
(Image credit: Shutterstock)

Google Photos may soon get a new feature that will allow you to order photo prints directly through the mobile app for same-day pickup.

It's been possible to order prints through Google Photos for some time (it's been able to design and order photo books for you since 2017), but an investigation by 9to5Google revealed that there's likely to be a much faster service on the way very soon.

A teardown of Google Photos 4.24 for Android revealed references to standard 4x6in photo prints for "same day pickup from CVS or Walmart".

No other companies are mentioned, so it seems safe to say that the service will be restricted to users in the US at first, but that may not be the case for long. Although its photo book service began in the US, Google soon extended it to Canada, Germany, the UK and France.

Canvassing opinion

The app also contains several mentions of canvas prints, which will be available for Google Photos users who want to mount their snaps on their walls. These will be available in three sizes: 8x8in, 11x14in and 16x20in, with a choice of either black of white wrap (to avoid the picture being stretched around the edge of the frame).

Google doesn't mention which company will be providing the canvas prints, but neither CVS nor Walmart offer them for same-day pickup so it seems likely to be the same supplier that handles its photo books.

These options aren't available in the app yet, and there's no guarantee that they will be, but teardowns like this often reveal features that are well into development. If and when they arrive, they'll be a handy way to get your favorite snaps off your phone and into a format where you can enjoy them every day.

Cat Ellis
Homes Editor

Cat is TechRadar's Homes Editor specializing in kitchen appliances and smart home technology. She's been a tech journalist for 15 years, and is here to help you choose the right devices for your home and do more with them. When not working she's a keen home baker, and makes a pretty mean macaron.

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