Google has recently updated its search functionality in Google Photos. Users can now search for specific text within their photos using quotation marks. This feature allows users to find exact matches of text, such as filenames, camera models, and captions, as well as the actual text within images taken years ago.
To use this new feature, simply surround your search term with quotation marks. For example, searching for “Pixel” will bring up images taken with a Pixel phone or identify text from old photos. The results without quotes will include not just text matches but also visual matches, such as the content of an image or similar scenes.
Source: https://www.droid-life.com/2025/06/03/search-for-exact-words-in-google-photos-using-quotes