Google has launched a new feature on Google Photos, available to more users.
Google has finally released its Photo Stacks feature to a wider audience after an initial trial in November of last year. The feature automatically groups photos taken around the same time and displays them as a single thumbnail image. This can significantly tidy up the photo’s view and prevent users from scrolling through multiple screens of similar images to find the one they want. However, because only the “top pick” image is shown by default, it may be harder to find a particular version of a photo that has been tidied away into a photo stack. In this case, users will have to manually open the stack to look for their chosen picture.
To enable or disable the feature, users can open the Google Photos app, enter the settings menu, select “Preferences,” and toggle the “Stack similar photos” switch. However, some users may not yet have access to the Photo Stacks feature, as Google seems to be randomly activating it on the server side. Additionally, the feature only works on photos stored on Google’s servers, so users will need to turn on backup in Google Photos settings before it can be offered to them.
Once inside a photo stack, users can change the top pick image, delete all other photos in one go, or remove individual images from the stack manually. Photo stacks can also be converted into animations in a single tap.