Google Photos Users Notice Vanishing Drag-to-Select Functionality

Recently, Google Photos users have found that they are unable to search for terms relating to controlled or illegal substances, a decision likely implemented for safety reasons. However, another problem has arisen that seems to be a glitch rather than a deliberate change. A useful selection feature for photos has unexpectedly vanished for some users.

Users have taken to Reddit to explain that the drag-to-select function is no longer operational. For those who aren’t familiar, this feature allows individuals to select multiple photos by swiping their finger across the screen. Typically, this is activated by long-pressing an image, which then enables multi-selection, allowing users to drag their finger to choose as many photos as needed.

Those affected report that while tapping and holding a photo does still initiate multi-selection, attempting to drag results only in the screen scrolling. Consequently, users are left to select each photo one by one.

The Reddit thread has garnered numerous comments, with many users echoing the sentiment of frustration due to the missing functionality. A writer from our team has also verified that this issue persists on their device. This seems to not be limited to Google Pixel devices but is also affecting various Galaxy and OnePlus models.

While Google frequently updates its applications, this seems to be more of a bug than an intentional feature removal. One Reddit user has mentioned that the drag-to-select function remains functional on their tablet, despite it disappearing on their Pixel 9a, while I can attest that the feature is still operational on my Pixel 6 Pro.

Android Authority has reached out to Google to gather more information regarding this issue. We will provide updates as they become available.