Google Photos Users Report Disappearance of Drag-to-Select Feature
Users of Google Photos across multiple smartphone brands report that the convenient drag-to-select functionality has unexpectedly stopped working. While long-pressing an image still initiates multi-select mode, dragging a finger now only scrolls the screen, forcing manual individual selection. Google has not yet officially addressed the issue, which appears to be an unintended software glitch.
Key points
- Google Photos users on Reddit and internal staff report the sudden disappearance of the drag-to-select photo feature.
- The affected devices span multiple manufacturers, including Google Pixel, Samsung Galaxy, and OnePlus smartphones.
- While long-pressing an image still opens multi-select mode, moving a finger across the screen now only scrolls the interface.
- Users must currently select pictures individually, significantly slowing down the process of managing large image libraries.
- Observers note this malfunction appears unintentional, contrasting with recent deliberate search restrictions implemented by Google.
Users of Google Photos have taken to online forums to report the sudden and unexplained disappearance of a popular interface capability. The drag-to-select function, which previously allowed individuals to gather multiple images rapidly by holding and dragging a finger across a screen, has stopped operating correctly across several prominent smartphone brands.
Affected individuals utilizing Google Pixel, Samsung Galaxy, and OnePlus handsets indicate that while the initial long-press still activates multi-select mode, subsequent finger movement merely scrolls the display vertically rather than highlighting additional files. Consequently, users are currently forced to tap each photograph individually to perform batch actions, creating friction in daily library management.
At this stage, Google has not issued an official statement regarding the malfunction. Technology analysts suggest the behavior is an unintentional software bug rather than a planned alteration, especially when compared to recent deliberate adjustments Google has made to restrict search terms associated with regulated or illicit substances within the application.
Sources
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