New Google Photos feature and Chrome rule change simplify your experience

Google Photos on Android now has a handy new option called “Undo device backup,” making it easier to manage your pictures and videos. This feature, which first appeared on iOS, is now part of Google Photos version 7.18 for Android. Here’s how it works:

• Open the Google Photos app on your Android phone or tablet.
• Tap your profile picture or initial at the top, then go to “Photos settings” and select “Backup.”
• Scroll down and choose “Undo backup for this device.”
• Check the box that says you understand your photos and videos will be removed from Google Photos.
• Hit “Delete Google Photos backup.”

This removes all your device’s photos and videos from Google’s cloud, including shared albums, search results, and memories, but they’ll stay safe on your device. After this, the backup feature turns off—perfect if you don’t want everything uploaded anymore.

Meanwhile, Google Chrome rolled out a new rule today to stop sneaky browser extensions, like PayPal’s Honey, from messing with affiliate codes. These codes help websites earn money when you shop, but some extensions were quietly adding their codes without helping you. Google’s update says extensions can only use affiliate links or codes if they benefit you—like offering a discount—and only when you take an action, like clicking something.

This targets Honey, which got caught last year sneaking its own affiliate codes into your shopping, even if you didn’t use its coupons. For example, just closing its pop-up could trigger it to replace other codes, stopping original sites from getting credit. Google now bans this and requires extensions to be upfront about using affiliate programs in their Chrome Web Store listings. Honey, with over 17 million users today (down from 18 million), lost users after its tricks were revealed in a YouTube video. Chrome’s new rules aim to keep things fair and clear for everyone.