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Users can now digitize their old physical photos and store them using the new PhotoScan app. The Google Photos team launched a new app, which is a broader version of the Google Photos that can scan physical photos and store then digitally on a cloud.

Game-like interface

The PhotoScan app is available on the Play Store and App Store for users to quickly scan a number of photos in an altogether game like interface. The app's engaging interface makes photo scanning an entertaining process rather than a tiring one. However, the quality of the scanned photos is slightly lower than the traditional flatbed scanner.

"Photos are at risk," says David

David Lieb, product development lead for Google Photos, expressed that the aim of PhotoScan is to encourage people to digitize their old photos so that they don't lose them. He said "They (the photos) are at risk of being lost when you move, they're at risk of fires, floods, and theft. And with every day that passes they fade away a bit - they literally fade away."

How to scan Photos using PhotoScan?

The app does not require any login and can be used similarly to the camera of a phone. PhotoScan opens the camera and functions similar to any other scanning application. It instructs users to position their photo within the frame. Then four dots appear on the photo. When users move their phone over each of the dots and cover all of them. Users have to hold until the circle is filled, and then the photo is scanned. The next photo can be scanned right away by repeating the process.

Perks of using PhotoScan

The advantage of PhotoScan is that it automatically crops the photos. The photos are also automatically color corrected and rotated. The scanned photos can be saved into Google Photos or saved to camera roll in just a single tap. Google Photos will store the scanned photos under a separate "Scan" folders. Photos saved in camera roll can also be shared to other apps.

It is certainly a great step forward for Google Photos to attract users to save their photos into their library through the PhotoScan app. However, the company faces significant competition from the billion user social apps of Apple, Amazon, and Facebook.