What you need to know
- Android users are finally receiving an update for Google Photos, which brings its new "Photo Stacks" feature backed by AI to help organization our messy galleries.
- Photo Stacks will group similar photos and videos together in a single stack if they were taken within a close time frame of one another.
- Users will find options to disable the feature altogether alongside more to share Photo Stacks and remove pictures that don't belong.
Google is finally bringing a photo organization feature to more users after introducing it in late 2023.
As spotted by 9to5Google, "Photo Stacks" are rolling out on Android devices in Google Photos. Once you've updated the app, you should notice a new splash screen stating "Similar photos are now automatically stacked" — including duplicates. Google's support page adds content found in Stacks from photos and videos taken within a relatively short time frame.
Users can glance across their "stacks" in the app's main Photo view, marked by a double-page icon at the top-right of the thumbnail. However, interacting with one will open a scrollable carousel.
From here, users can quickly scroll through, delete images, or designate a new "top pick" that will be displayed larger than the rest in Google Photos. Similarly, a 2x2 option at the bottom of the carousel lets users view their photos in grid view instead.
More importantly, a three-dot menu on every stack lets users disable the toggleable feature if they choose. There's also an option to "unstack" the grouping and spread them out individually in the app's main view.
Fiiiinally just got the stacked photos in Google Photos activated today. This rollout took forever. pic.twitter.com/zDaGbn8RfPJanuary 22, 2024
Google details users can share specific photos in a grouping by tapping "Share" when long-pressing a Photo Stack. Additionally, users can share the entire cluster of photos and videos by tapping "Includes Photo Stacks" after hitting "Share."
The company first introduced Photo Stacks in November 2023 and detailed its leverage of AI software to do the heavy lifting. This is why Google has provided ways for users to sift through their Stacks and decide which photos should stay or go since the AI can always get things wrong.
Furthermore, disabling Photo Stacks returns your entire gallery view to how you're used to seeing it.
Despite the introduction over two months ago, Google only rolled the feature out to iOS users, leaving Android users to wait until today to experience it.
