Copycat controversy: Retro accuses Google Photos of stealing style, features
Retro, a photo-sharing start-up, has identified notable resemblances between its app and a new feature on Google Photos named "My Week." The feature, which was shared by reverse engineer @AssembleDebug in a post on X, piqued the interest of Retro's co-founder and CTO, Ryan Olson. Olson reshared the post with a comment, "feel like I've seen this somewhere ..." Much like Retro's own app, "My Week" encourages users to chronicle their days through photos displayed in a week-by-week format.
'My Week' mirrors Retro's functionality
Android Authority in collaboration with @AssembleDebug, published a blog story, that showcased potential upcoming changes in the Google Photos app. Through an APK teardown, they managed to activate the "My Week" feature and suggested its imminent public release. According to the publisher, Google Photos will introduce a new "Introducing My Week" tile in its existing Memories carousel, which seems similar to Retro's feature.
Take a look at Olson's post
Google's response to latest observations
When asked about the similarities between "My Week" and Retro, TechCrunch says Google did not directly address the comparison but confirmed it was testing "My Week" in an invite-only mode. Google spokesperson Michael Marconi stated, "We're always experimenting with new ways to help people reflect and share their memories with the people that matter most to them." "We're looking forward to getting feedback on My Week but don't have anything else to share on future availability."
Retro CEO's reaction to Google Photos' new feature
Retro CEO Nathan Sharp isn't overly worried at this point. However, he pointed out that besides adopting the user's week as the primary unit for the photo journal, Google Photos' design also bears a striking resemblance to Retro's aesthetics. Both apps display photos in a horizontal "filmstrip"-style format with rounded corners. Sharp also notes that Google's product is not yet public and could undergo changes before its final release.
