Google Pics launches as AI image editing app for Workspace, taking aim at Canva

Google just declared itself a contender in AI design | TechCrunch

Google announced at its annual I/O event on Tuesday that it's launching Pics, a new AI-powered design and image generation app for Google Workspace. The tech giant says it designed the app to be accessible to everyone, from teachers to small business owners. With Pics, users can generate everything from social media graphics and invitations to marketing materials and mockups using simple text prompts, without needing any editing skills or advanced tools. By giving users an easy way to generate visuals, Google is looking to take on popular design apps like Canva, as well as products from AI-native competitors like Claude Design from Anthropic. Google's entry into the space signals that AI-powered design is fast becoming a core competitive arena -- with real stakes for any business that depends on visual content. The new app is launching to a group of testers at I/O and will be rolling out to Google AI Ultra subscribers this summer, Google says. The company acknowledges that although AI models today can generate high-quality images, it's still difficult to modify just one part of an image. If you get an image that's almost perfect but want to change a small detail, you have to write an entirely new prompt and hope the AI doesn't alter too much. That's why Pics not only generates images but makes them easily editable. Users can enter a prompt, and Pics will generate what they need. Gemini powers the editing layer, making every element in a generated design or image fully adjustable. You can write a new prompt to make changes, but you can also simply click the part you want to change and leave a comment -- much like leaving feedback in Google Docs. You can also edit directly, without leaving a comment or writing a prompt. For example, if you create a birthday party invitation and want to change the time listed on the card, you can do so manually. Pics is powered by Nano Banana 2, which Google says is a strong fit for the app because it supports precise text rendering, real-world knowledge, and detailed visual output. Pics is also built natively into Google Workspace, enabling visual collaboration across its apps. Once you're happy with your design, you can download, copy, print, or share it with others. You can also pass it to someone else for a final round of edits before it goes out, Google says.

Google Pics is a new app that tries to fix AI image editing

Google is launching a new AI image generation app to Workspace that it's calling Pics, and it has a new feature to try and reduce the hassle of iterating on AI images: Instead of having to write an entire prompt just to change one small aspect of an image, you'll be able to click on what you want to change and leave a note about what you want to see, almost like leaving a comment in a Google Doc. Pics is powered by a mix of Gemini and Google's Nano Banana 2 image model. In a demo shown to reporters, a Google employee working on an invite for a child's birthday party wanted to tweak individual parts of the invite. She clicked on an image of a cat, and then a little pop-up showed up where she left a note to change the cat image to one of a dog. She also clicked on the address shown on the card to make a direct tweak to what that text should say, and then asked Pics to make the changes. After a beat, the image was indeed updated -- though in the specific demo example, the new "dog" still heavily resembled a cat. Pics is rolling out initially as its own app on the web, first for what Google calls "trusted testers" and then later this summer for subscribers to Google's AI Ultra plan. The plan, down the line, is to eventually incorporate Pics right into other Workspace apps so that users can make and edit images without leaving the app that they're working from.

Google's newest app is an AI-powered image editor - Engadget

Alongside an array of updates across its Workspace apps, including Docs and Drive, Google is launching a new image-editing app that combines generative AI tools with fine-grain editing. Google Pics is built on Nano Banana, with object segmentation, meaning you'll be able to move, resize or transform individual parts of your images, whether AI-generated or not. While we've seen this kind of thing (with varying degrees of success) from Google, Adobe and even on-device on some smartphones, Pics has some new ideas of its own. You'll be able to modify text inside a photo directly and even translate it into different languages. Google says Pics will maintain the font style and size when it does so. The new app will also be integrated into Workspace apps, starting with Slides and Drive, making it sound like a compelling Canva rival for quick-and-easy poster design and social media content. However, we're waiting to try it ourselves before we pass judgement. We might not have to wait too long: Pics is launching today to a limited group of testers and will roll out globally this summer to Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers. A preview of the app is also coming to Workspace business users. Paying customers will have plenty of AI tools to play with. Google also announced that AI Inbox is now rolling out to all Google AI Plus and Pro subscribers in the US. In case you forgot, the feature tries to help you stay on top of your inbox by prioritizing your most important messages and time-sensitive tasks. Since it was previewed at the start of 2026, Google has added more to it, including personalized draft replies (instead of just a reminder) and instant file access, if it's a file already living inside Google Docs, Sheets, etc.

Google Pics Makes AI Image Generation Way Less Annoying

Today at Google I/O 2026, the tech giant announced that it is bringing a new AI image creation and editing tool, Google Pics, to Workspace. Google says Pics is "an all-new app that reimagines how you generate and edit your images with ultimate precision for professional to everyday creative projects." The company says that creating images using AI should feel less random and more predictable. Google notes that AI image generators often get close to the desired results, but there's often something that isn't quite what the user wanted. In many cases, this means starting from scratch and trying again, essentially having another roll of the dice. Google Pics aims to overcome this by combining the latest version of its popular Nano Banana model and intuitive creative controls. Pics promises to "take the hassle out of complex image generation." The new tool includes object segmentation, meaning users can select and edit specific elements in an AI-generated image. It's possible to move, resize, or transform an object. For example, users can change the color of an item of clothing or turn one animal into another. It also offers text editing and translation tools that preserve font style and aesthetics. The changes users want to make to selected objects occur in text, basically comments. As part of Google Workspace, Google Pics is built with collaboration in mind. Pics will include shareable canvases and simultaneous editing. It also integrates directly with Google Workspace apps, including Slides and Drive, at launch. Speaking of the launch, Google Pics is now available to a "limited group of Trusted Testers." It will then roll out this summer to global Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers and to Google Workspace business customers in preview. Pics is a web app for now, but Google says its features will be available inside Workspace apps down the road. Google Pics is just one of the many things Google announced during its lengthy I/O 2026 keynote presentation. Other highlights include a brand-new Google Gemini model, Omni; the ability to make custom creative tools inside Google Flow; major updates to Search; and a teaser for Intelligent Eyewear, a series of new "smart" glasses coming this fall.

Google Pics is coming to Workspace -- it could mean competition for Canva

At Google I/O 2026, Suz Chambers presented Google Pics, coming to Workspace soon. Credit: Google / Mashable Google wants to be your one and only workspace. Gmail and Drive can replace Outlook, Word, and Excel. Chat could replace Slack. But can the new Google Pics mean trouble for Canva? At Google I/O, AI was front and center, and the basis for new features coming to Google Workspace. One of the new programs coming to Workspace is Google Pics, a platform for editing existing photos, creating photos from scratch, and designing flyers, graphics, and more. All of that sounds a lot like Canva, an online graphic design tool with free and paid tiers that lets you edit photos and make graphics. Google Pics is built off of Google's existing AI image creation platform Nano Banana. At Google I/O, Suz Chambers, Director of Google Creative Lab, demoed Google Pics, cropping an existing photo, editing out an unwanted object, and adding text to the picture to create a graphic. Tasks that, for the record, could also be completed within Canva. Will Google Pics be an enticing switch for Canva users? Well, that's still to be seen, as the program is in the testing phase with plans to launch this summer for Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers. Meanwhile, Canva is free and available to all.