Let's be real. Most of us have thousands of photos sitting in the cloud, gathering digital dust. You’ve got that weekend trip to the coast, three different angles of a lukewarm latte, and a blurry shot of your dog doing something "cute" that looks like a brown smudge. You want to share them, but posting sixteen individual photos to your group chat feels like spamming. This is exactly why you need to know how to make a collage in Google Photos. It sounds simple. It is simple, mostly. But if you've ever tried to do it and ended up with a weirdly cropped forehead or a layout that looks like a 2005 MySpace page, you know there’s a bit of a learning curve to getting it right.
Google updated the collage editor significantly over the last two years. It’s no longer just a "pick six photos and hope for the best" situation. Now, we have actual styles, artist-designed layouts, and a drag-and-drop interface that actually works on a touchscreen. Honestly, it’s one of the few features Google hasn't over-complicated yet.
The Quick Way to Get It Done
Open the app. Seriously, just open it on your iPhone or Android. You can do this on the web too, but the mobile experience is much more fluid for dragging things around.
First, look at your main grid. Long-press on a photo to enter selection mode. Now, start tapping the other photos you want to include. You can pick up to nine. If you pick ten, the "plus" icon for the creation menu usually disappears because Google’s layout engine caps out at nine for standard grids. Once you have your selection, look at the bottom toolbar. You’ll see a "+" icon labeled Add to. Tap that, and then select Collage.
Boom. Google does the heavy lifting.
It’ll spit out a draft. From here, you aren't stuck with what the AI chose. You can swap photos by dragging one on top of another. You can pinch to zoom if the crop is cutting off someone's chin. Most people forget that part. They just accept the first version and move on. Don't be that person. Adjust the crop.
Why Your Layouts Probably Look Messy
Most people fail at collages because they pick photos with clashing "energy." If you have one bright, neon-lit photo from a concert and three moody, dark shots from a rainy walk, the collage is going to look vibratingly ugly. It’s a visual hierarchy issue.
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When you're figuring out how to make a collage in Google Photos that actually looks professional, try to stick to a color palette. If you’re a Google One subscriber, you actually get access to "Styles." These are pre-made backgrounds and frames designed by artists like Lisa Congdon or the duo Yao Cheng Design. They add padding and thematic elements that make a digital collage feel more like a physical scrapbook.
If you don't pay for the extra storage, you’re stuck with the basic white or black borders. That's fine. It’s classic. But here is the secret: use the "Edit" button inside the collage tool. You can replace a specific image without starting over. Just tap the specific photo within the grid, hit "Replace," and find a better match.
The Desktop vs. Mobile Divide
There is a weird quirk here. On a desktop browser, you go to photos.google.com, click Explore, and then scroll down to Collages. It works. It’s functional. But you lose the granular control over the "Styles" that you get on the mobile app.
Why? Because Google prioritizes mobile-first interactions for social sharing. If you’re at your desk trying to make a high-res masterpiece, you might find the web version a bit stifling. It’s better for a quick "select and generate" than a "fine-tune and polish" session.
Handling the "Google One" Paywall
Let’s talk about the elephant in the room. Some of the best layouts are locked. If you see a little "1" icon in a rainbow circle on a layout, that’s a Google One feature.
Is it worth it?
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If you just want to send a quick pic to Grandma, no. The free grids are perfectly serviceble. But if you’re trying to make something for a "Year in Review" or a birthday post, the artist styles handle the spacing much better. They prevent the photos from feeling cramped. Standard grids often have zero "white space" between images, which can feel claustrophobic. The premium styles add that breathing room.
Beyond the Basics: Editing Within the Grid
One thing most users miss is that you can apply filters to individual photos after they are already in the collage. You don't have to edit all nine photos beforehand.
- Tap the photo inside the collage layout.
- Hit the "Edit" button (the one that looks like sliders).
- Adjust the brightness or pop a filter on it.
- Save.
This is a game-changer. Often, a photo looks great on its own but appears too dim when placed next to a bright sky shot. Fixing it in-situ saves you from the "back and forth" nightmare of the old Google Photos days.
What about the "Un-Collage"?
Sometimes the AI makes a "memory" collage for you. You’ll see a notification: "Check out this new collage!" Sometimes they're great. Sometimes they include an ex-partner or a photo of a receipt you took for taxes. Google’s algorithms are smart, but they aren't "knows your personal drama" smart.
You can't really "edit" those AI-generated memories in the same way. You’re better off seeing what photos it chose, liking the vibe, and then manually recreating it using the steps above so you have total control.
Technical Limits You Should Know
You cannot make a collage with 50 photos. Google isn't trying to be Adobe InDesign. The limit is nine. If you need more, you’re looking at making multiple collages and then... making a collage of those collages? It gets messy.
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Also, the aspect ratio is usually fixed. Most Google Photos collages default to a 1:1 square or a vertical phone-screen ratio. This is great for Instagram Stories or Reels, but if you’re planning on printing this for a 4x6 frame, you might see some cropping. Always check the edges before you hit "Save."
Actionable Steps for Your Next Creation
Stop just clicking "Create." To make something that actually stands out in a feed, follow this workflow:
- Curate first: Create a temporary album and throw 15-20 potential photos in there. It’s much easier to pick the "final nine" from a small pool than from your entire 50,000-photo library.
- Check the lighting: Ensure at least three of the photos have a similar background color to create a sense of "anchor" in the grid.
- Use the "Drag to Swap" feature: Put your most "active" or detailed photo in the largest slot of the layout. Put simpler, textural shots (like a close-up of flowers or a beach) in the smaller corner slots.
- Export at high quality: Once you save, Google Photos adds it to your library. If you're sending it over WhatsApp or Messenger, try to send it as a "document" or "file" to avoid the double-compression that turns your beautiful collage into a pixelated mess.
The reality of how to make a collage in Google Photos is that the tool is built for speed. It's meant for the "I'm at the airport and want to post about my trip" moment. If you spend more than five minutes on one, you’re probably overthinking it. Pick your favorites, tweak the crops so no one's head is cut off, and let the software handle the alignment.
To get started right now, just open your app, find your last holiday, and select five photos. Hit the plus sign. You’ll see exactly how far the tool has come from the basic white-box grids of five years ago.
Once you save your collage, it lives in your library just like a regular photo. You can find it later by searching "collages" in the search bar. This is a massive help when you want to look back at your best shots from 2024 or 2025 without scrolling forever. It’s basically a highlight reel in a single frame.