Google launches Pixel Screenshots, an AI-powered on-device search for user-captured images

Google has introduced Pixel Screenshots, a new AI-powered Android feature that allows users to search through their manually taken screenshots using on-device AI. This feature utilizes the Gemini Nano model, ensuring that all processing is done directly on the device, which enhances user privacy by eliminating the need for cloud-based processing.

Unlike Microsoft's Recall, which faced criticism for capturing desktop snapshots without user initiation, Pixel Screenshots processes only the screenshots that users manually take. This method addresses privacy concerns by focusing exclusively on images that users decide to capture, rather than automatically taking snapshots.

Pixel Screenshots enables users to perform specific content searches within their screenshots, making it easier to find relevant images quickly. For example, users can input keywords to locate a door code for an upcoming vacation or extract information like product prices. The feature is currently not available in all countries or languages, and it is also unclear if it will come to all Android phones or remain exclusive to Google phones.