Just four months after its initial launch, Google has decided to discontinue its automatic photo printing subscription service for Google Photos users. This service, which began as a trial in February for select users in the US, was designed to automatically choose ten photos each month from a user’s Google Photos library and deliver them as physical prints.
The trial was initially set to transition into a paid subscription model priced at $7.99 per month starting July 1, 2020. However, according to a report from Droid Life, Google has already notified its trial subscribers via email that the service will be shut down on June 30.
The email from Google to its users stated:
“Thank you for your invaluable feedback these last several months. You have provided us with a lot of helpful information about how we can evolve this feature, which we hope to make more widely available. Please keep your eyes open for future updates. Although we will be ending the trial program, we hope that you have experienced some joy from the prints you received along the way.”
A familiar Google Photos logo displayed to represent the cloud photo storage and print service.
The swift end to this trial program suggests that it may not have met Google’s expectations or user needs. Several key drawbacks likely contributed to its premature cancellation.
Key Reasons Behind the Service Discontinuation
Several factors likely played a role in Google’s decision to end the Google Photos Print subscription trial. These shortcomings highlight the challenges of creating an automated photo printing service that truly resonates with users.
Limited User Control Over Photo Selection
One of the primary weaknesses of the Google Photos print subscription was the lack of user control. Subscribers had very little say in which photos were chosen for printing. The service aimed to automatically select the “best” photos, but users couldn’t manually curate or choose specific images they wanted to receive as prints each month.
While users could select categories like “Mostly people and pets,” “Mostly landscape,” or “A little bit of everything,” this broad categorization wasn’t enough to ensure satisfaction. Many users reported needing to intervene and manually swap out Google’s automatic selections to avoid receiving prints of mundane or poorly composed photos, where subjects might be out of focus or not looking at the camera. This lack of precision and personalization undermined the appeal of an automatic service.
Restrictive and Potentially Random Photo Choices
Adding to the control issue, the categories offered were quite restrictive. Users couldn’t fine-tune their preferences beyond these general themes. This limitation, combined with the automated selection process, sometimes resulted in seemingly random or irrelevant photos being chosen. The promise of receiving the “best” photos each month fell flat when users received prints that didn’t align with their personal preferences or photographic highlights.
For a service designed to deliver joyful memories, the risk of receiving unwanted prints was a significant deterrent. The inability to preview or approve selections before printing further diminished the user experience and made the service feel less valuable.
High Price Point Compared to Alternatives
Perhaps the most significant hurdle for the Google Photos print subscription was its price. At $7.99 per month for ten prints, the service was considerably more expensive than readily available high-street and online photo printing alternatives. Many services offer prints at significantly lower prices, with estimates around $0.23 per print from retailers like Walgreens (excluding delivery fees).
This price discrepancy became even more critical in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. With financial uncertainties and reduced opportunities for taking new, noteworthy photos due to lockdown restrictions, justifying a monthly $7.99 subscription for potentially unwanted prints became increasingly difficult for users. The perceived value simply didn’t match the financial commitment.
Google Photos Print Services Continue
Despite the discontinuation of the automatic print subscription trial, it’s important to note that Google Photos continues to offer other print services. Users can still create and order photo books and individual prints through Google Photos. These services provide users with full control over photo selection and customization, addressing the key shortcomings of the automated subscription trial.
While the automatic print subscription experiment may have ended prematurely, Google’s commitment to photo printing within Google Photos appears to remain. The feedback gathered from this trial will likely inform future iterations and improvements to their print offerings, hopefully leading to more compelling and user-friendly Google Photos print services in the future.
