Google, it appears, is gradually retiring the hamburger menu from some of its apps. The heavily populated hamburger menu, which is usually accessed by either clicking on the hamburger icon or swiping right from left edge of the screen, went missing on the latest version of Google Maps a few weeks ago. Google then used a greyed-out icon and a tooltip to point users to an updated dropdown panel accessed from the user icon in the search bar. Google is carrying out a similar modification in the Google Photos app now.
According to a recent report filed by Android Police, the upcoming version of Google Photos no longer features the hamburger menu. The change is apparently part of a visual overhaul that Google is currently testing. Like Maps, the user icon in the search bar is the place to go to switch accounts, access device folders, and launch PhotoScan. It also has a few new options, including Categories (such as Screenshots, Selfies, 360 Photos & Videos, etc.) and Recently Added (an option Google reportedly promised to add).
Screenshots from the report show other changes in the user interface apart from the missing hamburger menu. For example, the lower navigation bar no longer contains an ‘Albums’ tab. Instead, there’s a ‘Library’ tab that leads the user to the same screen with a new section containing, ‘Favorites’, ‘Archive’, ‘Trash’, and ‘Utilities’ options. There’s also a new 'Search' tab in the navigation bar, which is presumably for users who fail to spot the persistent search bar at the top.
According to the report, the new changes in the Google Photos app will arrive as a server-side update sometime in the next few days but it’s best to keep the app updated to the latest version anyway. Google recently redesigned the Google Maps logo to celebrate the service's 15th anniversary. At that time, it also added a new ‘Contribute’ tab to the lower navigation bar, which allows users to share local knowledge about places in the map. You can expect the updated Google Photos app to make it to your devices in the next few days.
Inline image courtesy: Android Police