How to use Photo Stacks in Google Photos to clean up your library

Streamlining Your Photo Collection with Google Photos’ Latest Feature

For those who find themselves sifting through an ever-growing collection of images on their Android devices, Google Photos has introduced a nifty solution. The app, a staple on Android smartphones, has launched a feature aptly named Photo Stacks, designed to simplify the management of duplicate or similar images cluttering your gallery.

With Photo Stacks, users can now effortlessly organize their libraries, regardless of whether their device is a high-end Android model or a budget-friendly option. The feature is accessible to all and promises a more streamlined viewing experience.

Activating Photo Stacks in Google Photos

Enabling Photo Stacks is a breeze:

1. Launch the Google Photos app.
2. Look for three vertical dots situated between the highlight carousel and your most recent photo, and tap on them.
3. A menu will appear from the bottom. Here, you’ll find the option ‘Stack similar photos’. Turn this on.
4. Once you return to your gallery, you’ll notice that multiple shots taken in quick succession are now represented by a single image, marked with a number indicating the total photos in the stack.

Note: Photo Stacks is only applicable to images backed up to the cloud. For guidance on backing up your media with Google Photos, visit this tutorial. Stacking might not be instantaneous for recent photos, so patience is key.

Managing Photos Within a Stack

Grouping similar photos offers several convenient options:

• To view all the photos in a stack, tap the photo to reveal thumbnails of the additional images below. Selecting a thumbnail will display a larger preview.
• To see all the photos in a stack simultaneously, tap the logo with four squares.
• To designate a new Top pick, long-press another photo within the stack and select ‘Set as top pick’.
• If you wish to remove a photo from the stack without deleting it, choose ‘Remove from stack’.
• To eliminate unwanted photos, select them and hit ‘Delete from device’, or keep a single photo and use the ‘Keep 1, delete rest’ option if the stack is large.

Note: Be mindful that once photos are unstacked, there’s a brief window to undo the action, after which re-stacking is not possible, even by toggling the Photo Stack feature.

Sharing Your Curated Photo Stacks

Sharing images from a stack is straightforward:

1. Long-press a stack and select share. You’ll be presented with options to share 1 item or XX items, depending on the stack’s size.
2. The first option shares the top image, while the second shares the entire stack.
3. To share a specific photo that isn’t the top pick, open the stack, select the photo, and then tap Share.

Enhancing Your Gallery with Photo Stacks

Google Photos continues to evolve as a powerful, free tool for media organization. Come May 15, 2024, it’s set to become even more robust with the introduction of AI editing tools at no cost. Users will gain access to features like Magic Eraser, Photo Unblur, and Portrait Light without needing a Google One subscription.

Photo Stacks is a valuable addition that helps declutter your gallery, allowing quicker access to the photos you’re looking for. Embrace this feature to keep your digital memories neatly organized.