Google Photos is no longer just a place to store holiday snaps and family pictures. It has stepped into internet culture with a bold new artificial intelligence feature called Me Meme, and it is spreading fast.
The new tool lets people turn their own selfies into ready-made memes. Instead of downloading a separate app, users can now create personalised viral images directly inside Google Photos.
The feature was first noticed hidden in development code in October 2025. It officially launched in late January 2026 and is now rolling out widely to Android and iPhone users across the US. It sits inside the Google Photos “Create” tab, linking your camera roll directly with popular meme culture.
Expansion to the UK, India and other regions is expected during the second quarter of 2026.
Powered by advanced AI
Unlike older apps that simply pasted a face onto a template, Me Meme uses Google’s powerful Nano Banana image generation model. This is the same system behind the company’s latest high-quality photo editing tools.
Instead of basic cut-and-paste editing, the AI rebuilds details such as lighting, skin tone and facial expressions so they match the original meme scene. The result looks far more natural — and far more shareable.
Using it is simple. Users open Google Photos, head to the “Create with AI” section, tap “Me Meme,” and pick from a collection of well-known meme templates.
Part of Google’s wider AI strategy
The launch ties into Google’s larger Personal Intelligence programme, which is currently in beta testing. This project links AI tools powered by Gemini across apps such as Gmail, Photos and YouTube, aiming to provide smarter and more personalised support.
While Me Meme is clearly designed for fun, it also plays a bigger role. It introduces users to AI editing their personal photo libraries casually. In other words, it makes AI changes feel normal.
Safety and privacy measures
Google has marked the feature as Experimental. Several limits are built in.
The system will not create memes involving public figures or children. Every image produced carries SynthID, Google’s invisible watermark for AI-generated content, designed to reduce the risk of misinformation.
Although the processing happens in the cloud, which is necessary to use the power of the Nano Banana model, Google says the data remains within each user’s private account boundaries.