Google Launches Photowall iOS And Android Apps For Beaming Collaborative Galleries To Chromecast

Google has launched a new iOS and Android app with Chromecast-specific features called Photowall. The app, as detailed by 9to5Mac, lets users send photos from their device to their Chromecast-connected TV, and works with either one iPhone user or a group on the same network. There are also photo editing features that let you doodle and make notes on images displayed on the big screen. Finally, the app can generate a YouTube montage from your photo wall creation for easy sharing.

Others participating in the fun don’t even have to have the app installed – they can add photos from their phone or tablet using a web-based interface, as well as doodle or add annotations. This seems like a fun take on the slideshow of old, and a more participatory version that hopefully isn’t quite as boring as sitting around watching vacation photos passively.

The Chromecast is Google’s $35 TV streaming connected dongle, for those who haven’t yet caught wind of the mobile accessory. Google recently expanded its availability, so more people around the world should be able to take advantage of new software that comes out for the streaming stick. There’s also a powerful third-party API for the gadget, but it’s good to see Google still exploring first-party apps for its pet media project, too.