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Google Photos for Android adds manual photo stacking, over a year after iOS

Google Photos on Android has begun rolling out the ability to manually group photos into stacks, a feature that has been available on iOS since May 2025. Users can create a stack by pressing and holding on multiple photos, giving more control over library organization than the app's automatic stacking. The feature appears to be rolling out server-side, as it's showing up on some devices like Pixel phones but not yet on others such as the Galaxy Z Fold.

Google adds Gemini Spark AI agent to manage Google Photos libraries

Google announced that its Gemini Spark personal agent can now perform tasks within Google Photos, including editing images, curating and sharing albums, converting flyer photos into calendar events, and running automated workflows. Google Photos lead Shimrit Ben-Yair revealed the update on X, saying it will roll out over the coming weeks to Gemini AI Pro and Ultra subscribers in the U.S. using English, with no timeline given for international availability.

Google links Gemini Spark to Google Photos for automated editing and sharing

Google has integrated its Gemini Spark AI assistant with Google Photos, letting it perform multi-step tasks like editing, organizing, and sharing images from a single prompt. Spark can also extract text from photos, summarize events, build visual stories, and run recurring tasks such as weekly album updates sent automatically to family or friends. The feature is rolling out gradually and currently limited to US users 18 and older with a Google AI Pro or Ultra subscription.

Google Photos tests a Customize button for reordering Collections tab

Android Authority found a new Customize option in Google Photos version 7.90.0 that lets users drag and rearrange folders like On This Device, Places, and People & Pets within the Collections tab. The tool also allows hiding certain albums entirely, though the recently added pinned section can only be hidden, not reordered.

ZDNET writer shares four-step method to organize 22,000 Google Photos images

A ZDNET contributor describes tackling a Google Photos library of more than 22,000 photos and videos accumulated since 2016 by breaking the task into manageable daily habits rather than one huge sorting session. The approach relies on features like Google Photos' and Apple Photos' 'On This Day' memory notifications to review small batches of images regularly instead of trying to sort the whole archive at once.

Google Photos tests pinnable shortcuts for the Collections tab

An unreleased feature discovered in Google Photos version 7.90 lets users long-press albums, folders, or people to pin them as shortcuts in a new horizontal bar at the top of the Collections tab. Android Authority manually activated the hidden option and found it largely functional, including a dedicated Edit menu for reordering pinned items and browsing library categories.

Pixel phone owners report widespread app crashes and audio skipping

Multiple Pixel users are reporting on Reddit that apps like Google Photos, Spotify, and CapCut are randomly crashing or refusing to stay open, while music apps skip tracks. Reports span devices including the Pixel 9 and Pixel 11, suggesting the issue isn't limited to newer hardware. One user says joining Google's System Services beta and updating resolved the crashes on their device.

Google Photos tests full emoji picker for reactions to shared photos

Android Authority found a hidden feature in Google Photos version 7.90 that expands reactions on shared photos beyond a simple heart. Once enabled, it shows a redesigned reaction button alongside comments, and a floating bar suggesting emojis while also letting users tap through to the entire emoji picker to choose any reaction. The feature isn't publicly available yet but appears functional and ready for rollout.

Google Photos users find workaround for missing date dividers on home screen

Google's July redesign of the Photos app removed the visual separators that used to mark where one day's photos ended and the next began, replacing them with a floating date label that scrolls with the feed. The change came bundled with a broader visual overhaul, including a new floating navigation bar, that most users otherwise praised. A workaround exists to restore the old date-grouped view for people who rely on it to keep their photo library organized.

Google Photos to cut trash retention for backed-up media from 60 to 30 days

Code found in Google Photos version 7.90 reveals plans to standardize how long deleted photos and videos remain recoverable, setting a single 30-day trash window for all media. Currently, backed-up items stay in trash for 60 days while non-backed-up files are removed after 30 days. The feature is not yet live for most users, but testers were able to activate it early.