My experience with Google’s new ‘Add Me’ feature: Take a pic of your friends and end up in the group shot

Google’s new “Add Me” feature highlights the company’s efforts to use AI in resolving common issues and improving daily life.

For example, have you ever been designated the “group picture taker,” but felt a tinge of disappointment that you, too, couldn’t be a part of the group shot? Or perhaps you are in the group photo, and you want the person taking the picture in the shot, but it’s just not possible (perhaps there aren’t any nearby strangers to take it).

Well, with “Add Me,” as the picture taker, you can snap the group photo and end up in the final shot. At a recent Google press event, I had the chance to test the feature firsthand, and I have to say, it’s a solid starting effort from Google, though there are still a few quirks to be aware of.

My experience with Google’s new ‘Add Me’ feature

First thing’s first, a female Google rep asked me to stand in front of a black background with a male rep. The first thing I instinctively did, as the embarrassing Millennial that I am (I’m surprised I didn’t do “duck lips”), was beam the biggest smile and put two peace signs up with both hands. Immediately, the Google rep shook his head and told me to put my arms down.

Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable

With my hands up, it would be too challenging for the AI. The concept here is that we need to take two photos: the group shot and the picture taker. And with my arms flailing all over the place, the AI might struggle to seamlessly blend my raised arms into the final composite image without creating awkward distortions.

Once the “group” picture was taken, we then grabbed a photo of the picture taker.

Here is the original “group” shot
Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable

The Google rep told me that the “Add Me” feature, which can be found on the new Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, Pixel 9 Pro XL, and Pixel 9 Pro Fold phones, gives users guidance on where, exactly, the original picture taker should be standing. (In our case, Add Me guided the picture taker to stand next to a nearby plant.)

And here’s the final shot:

Final “Add Me” shot
Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable

And there you have it. Looking at the results of Add Me, you’d never know that the woman in the all-black outfit (i.e., the picture taker) wasn’t in the original “group” photo.

The lighting of the second shot matches the original “group” photo so well. Her right arm is brilliantly hiding right behind my arms, just like it would in real life if we took a group photo together in the first place.

Once you’ve taken the Add Me photo, you can share it and impress your loved ones. Or before that, you can play around with Magic Editor, which also has some impressive AI updates this year.