I'm no longer using Google Photos as just a cloud storage – 5 tools that elevate the app

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ZDNET’s key takeaways

• Google Photos is more than just a storage tool.
• With these five tricks, you can up your Photos game.
• Each of these features is built into Google Photos.

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Google Photos is a necessity for anyone who uses Android and takes a lot of photos. With this app, you can organize, search, and even create. But did you know there were things you can do that go beyond the usual?

Also: How I ditched Google Photos for my own private self-hosted alternative – for free

Android users who want to level up their Google Photos game are in for a treat. And iPhone users should not feel left out, as the first four of these five tools will work in iOS, too, although the steps will vary. (Naturally, iOS users need to have the Google Photos app installed.)

Check these out:

1. Create Reels

If you’re seriously into social media, you’re no doubt familiar with Reels, Stories, and Clips. Ever wondered how to create such short-form video content? If you try to do this manually, you’ll find it’s a chore. Google Photos can help you create and post Reels as quickly as possible. To create a Reel in Google Photos, follow these steps:

1. Open Google Photos.
2. Tap the Create tab.
3. Tap “Highlight video.”
4. Choose a template.
5. Tap “Use template.”
6. Select the photos you want to add to the Reel.
7. Tap Next.
8. Edit as needed (resize, adjust, and add audio/music/text).
9. Tap Save. 
10. That’s it. You can now share that Reel where you want.

2. Create stickers

Who doesn’t love a good sticker? Even better, who doesn’t like personalized stickers? If that sounds like you, you’ll be tickled to know that Android allows you to create stickers from your photos. This might sound challenging, but it’s not. In fact, Google has made this process quite simple, thanks to AI — naturally.

Also: I captured 1,000 photos with the Google Pixel 10 Pro in Hawaii, and it set a new standard for me

How do you pull this off? Let me show you.

1. Open Google Photos.
2. Locate the image you want to use.
3. Tap on that image.
4. Long-press the object in the image that you want to use as a sticker.
5. Tap “Copy sticker.”
6. Open the app you want to use, then paste the sticker. You can also use the built-in Share feature to send it via SMS, email, or however you prefer to share items.  

It’s stickertastic!  

3. Share albums via QR Code

Do you like sharing photo albums with people, and are you looking for a faster way to do so? Google Photos has you covered. With a new-ish feature in the app, you can create a photo album and then share it via a QR code. 

Let me show you how this is done.

1. Open Google Photos.
2. Tap + near the upper right corner of the app.
3. In the resulting pop-up, tap Album.
4. Give your new album a title and an optional description.
5. Tap “Select photos.”
6. Select all of the photos you want to add to the album.
7. Tap “Add” at the top right corner of the app.
8. Locate your newly created album.
9. Tap the share icon at the bottom (far left icon on the pill).
10. Tap “Show QR Code.”
11. Tap “Create link.”

Also: Your Pixel phone hides a free Google Photos AI tool that’s pure magic – how it works

When the QR code appears, share it with others (either do it directly from your phone or take a screenshot of the code and share it).

Do be careful of sharing a screenshot of the QR code, as you don’t want that to wind up in the wrong hands.

4. Convert hand-written notes

Do you have a handwritten note that you’ve taken a photo of, so you can remember or use it later? What if you could use Google Photos to convert those handwritten notes into text? You can! Even better, Google Photos is a vast improvement over Google Lens in this process. 

How this works depends on the phone you have. Since I only have a Pixel phone, I’ll show you how it’s done on Google’s flagship. If you use a different phone, the process might vary.

1. Open Google Photos.
2. Locate the photo of the handwritten note you want to transcribe.
3. Tap the photo in question.
4. Tap Ask at the bottom.
5. Type “Transcribe this note” in the Ask prompt.
6. Wait for Gemini to finish the task.
7. Copy the contents of the note.
8. Paste the contents where needed.

5. Add music to your videos

If you take a lot of videos without sound, you might want to give them a boost of creativity by adding music, and Google Photos makes this very easy. Here’s how. (Note that this trick does not apply to iOS users.)

Also: 10 must-try Google Photos tips and tricks – including a new AI editor

1. Open Google Photos.
2. Locate and tap the video you want to add music to.
3. Swipe the bottom tab bar left until you see Music.
4. Tap Music.
5. Locate the song you want to add to your video and tap Select.
6. If you don’t want the song to start at the beginning, locate the section to use by dragging the song timeline left or right.
7. Tap Save.

You can now share your new video with sound in any way you like.