How to Make a Google Photos Album (Web, Android, iPhone)

To make a Google Photos album, select the photos you want, choose the option to add them to an album, pick New album, give it a name, and tap or click Done. On a computer, you do this at photos.google.com. On an Android phone, iPhone, or iPad, you do it in the Google Photos app. It takes under a minute.

An album doesn’t make copies of your pictures. It’s a collection that points to photos already in your library, so the same photo can sit in several albums without using extra storage. Below are the exact steps for each device, how to add and remove photos later, how to turn an album into a shared album that friends and family can add to, and fixes for common problems.

Quick Answer

1. Open Google Photos (photos.google.com on a computer, or the app on your phone).
2. Select a photo, then select any others you want in the album.
3. Choose Add to album (on a computer, Add then Album), then New album.
4. Type an album title.
5. Tap or click Done.

In This Guide

• What you need and what an album is
• Make an album on a computer
• Make an album on Android
• Make an album on iPhone or iPad
• Add, remove, rename, or delete
• Make a shared album
• Album, shared album, or partner sharing?
• Tips for organizing with albums
• Troubleshooting
• Frequently Asked Questions

What You Need and What an Album Is

This guide covers Google Photos on the web, the Android app, and the iPhone and iPad app, as of September 2026. You need:

• A Google Account, the same one you use for Gmail or YouTube.
• Photos in Google Photos. On a phone, the app can show pictures stored on the device, but photos that are backed up to your account are the ones you can see from every device and share with others.
• The Google Photos app on a phone or tablet (from the Play Store on Android or the App Store on iPhone), or any modern web browser on a computer.

A few facts from Google’s help pages that are worth knowing before you start:

• An album can hold up to 20,000 photos or videos.
• Removing a photo from an album, or deleting the whole album, does not delete the photo from your library. It only disappears from your library if you delete it from the main Photos view.
• In a shared album, only the person who created it can edit it (rename, remove items, delete). Other people can add photos and videos.

Button names can shift slightly between app updates. Google’s own help pages use both Add to album and Add to or create new for the same step, so if your screen shows one of those, you’re in the right place.

How to Make a Google Photos Album on a Computer

1. Open Google Photos. Go to photos.google.com and sign in. Expected result: Your photo timeline appears.
2. Select the first photo. Hover over a photo and click the check mark (the Select circle) at its top left corner. Expected result: The photo is checked, and a toolbar appears at the top of the page.
3. Select more photos. Click the check mark on each photo you want to include. To grab a whole day, click the check mark next to the date.
4. Choose the album option. At the top, click Add (it may be labeled Add to or create new or shown as a plus sign), then Album.
5. Create the album. Click New album.
6. Name it. Type a title, such as “Beach Trip 2026.” A title is optional but makes the album easier to find.
7. Finish. Click Done. Expected result: The album opens with your selected photos, and it’s listed with your other albums.

The official steps are on Google’s Create & edit photo albums help page.

Start with an empty album instead

If you’d rather name the album first and pick photos second, look for an Albums page (under Collections in the left navigation in newer layouts) and a Create album or New album button there. Type a title, then click Select photos or Add photos, check the pictures you want, and click Done. Labels in this part of the site vary between layouts, so if you don’t find the button, use the steps above; the result is the same album.

Add photos automatically by person or pet

On a computer, you can set an album to fill itself with photos of specific people or pets. This relies on face groups, Google Photos’ feature that groups similar faces, which isn’t available in every country or account.

1. Open the album.
2. At the top right, click More (three dots), then Options.
3. Click Add and select the face groups you want.
4. Click Confirm.

If you choose more than one person, any photo containing either person is added. This is great for a “Grandkids” or “Our Dog” album that keeps itself current.

How to Make a Google Photos Album on Android

1. Open the app. Open Google Photos and make sure you’re signed in to the right account (your profile picture is at the top right).
2. Select photos. Touch and hold a photo until a check mark appears, then tap any other photos you want to include. Expected result: A count of selected items appears at the top, with actions at the bottom or top.
3. Choose the album option. Tap Add to album. In some versions, tap Create (or the plus sign), then Album.
4. Create a new album. If you see a list of existing albums, tap New album.
5. Name it. Type a title (optional).
6. Finish. Tap Done. Expected result: Your new album opens with the selected photos.

To add more photos later, open the album, tap Add to album at the bottom, select the items, and tap Done at the top right.

How to Make a Google Photos Album on iPhone or iPad

1. Open the app. Open Google Photos and sign in if asked.
2. Select photos. Touch and hold a photo, then tap the others you want to include.
3. Choose the album option. Tap Add to album (in some versions, Create then Album).
4. Create a new album. Tap New album.
5. Name it. Type a title (optional).
6. Finish. Tap Done. Expected result: The album opens and is saved under Collections, then Albums.

To add more photos later, open the album, tap Add to album at the bottom, select the items, and tap Add at the top right.

Note: Albums you make in Google Photos are separate from albums in Apple’s built-in Photos app. They don’t sync with each other.

Add, Remove, Rename, or Delete an Album

Only the album’s creator can make these changes. The steps are nearly identical across devices; differences are noted.

Remove photos from an album

1. Open the album.
2. On a computer or Android, click or tap More, then Edit album. On iPhone, tap Edit at the bottom.
3. Tap or click Remove on each item you want to take out.
4. Tap or click Done.

Removed items stay in your Google Photos library.

Rename an album

Open the album and click or tap the title (on iPhone, tap Edit first, then the title). Type the new name and choose Done.

Change the cover photo (computer)

Open the album, open the photo you want on the cover, click More, then Use as album cover.

Delete an album

Before you delete: If the album is shared, deleting it can take it away from everyone you shared it with, along with any photos other people added that they haven’t saved to their own libraries. Ask contributors to save anything they want to keep first.

1. Open the album.
2. Click or tap More at the top right.
3. Choose Delete album and confirm.

Your own photos and videos remain in your library.

How to Make a Shared Album

A shared album lets other people view the photos and, if you allow it, add their own. It’s the easiest way to collect everyone’s pictures from a wedding, trip, or reunion in one place.

Create a shared album on a computer

1. Go to photos.google.com and click Photos on the left.
2. Select the photos you want to share.
3. At the top, click Add to or create new (or Add), then Shared album, then New shared album.
4. Enter an album title.
5. Click Share at the top right.
6. Choose people by name, email address, or phone number, then click Send. Expected result: Recipients get a notification, and the album appears in their Google Photos.

Share an album from your phone

1. Open the album you created.
2. Tap Share.
3. Pick people from your contacts or search by email or phone number. They need a Google Account to join.
4. Or tap Create link (on iPhone, you may need to swipe to find Get link) to make a link you can text or email. You can also tap Show QR Code for a scannable code.

Warning: Anyone who has the link can view the album, and Google notes they may be able to add to it, even without a Google Account. Only share links with people you trust, and turn link sharing off when you’re done.

Add to an album someone shared with you

When a friend shares an album with you, it shows up in Google Photos (look in Sharing or your notifications). Open it and look for an Add photos or Add to album option, select your pictures, and confirm. If you don’t see that option, the owner has turned off collaboration. Photos you add stay yours: they remain in your library, and if you later leave the album, the photos, comments, and likes you added are removed from it. To keep a copy of someone else’s photos, see how to download shared Google Photos.

Control who can see and add

• Link sharing: On a computer, open the album and go to More, then Options. On a phone, go to More, then Sharing. Turn Link sharing off to disable the link. Turning it back on creates a new link.
• Collaborate: In the same menu, turn off Collaborate so only you can add photos.
• Remove a person: Find the person in that menu, choose More, then Remove person. Their photos and comments are removed from the album. If link sharing is still on, they could reopen the link, so turn it off too.

When you share with specific people, you can also choose whether they can add photos, comments, and likes. To make a shared album private again, remove every collaborator and turn off link sharing; Google notes this also removes the album’s comments.

Google explains these settings on its shared album controls page, and sharing in general on Share photos & videos. For a deeper walkthrough, see how to share a Google Photos album.

Album, Shared Album, or Partner Sharing?

Option	Who sees it	Best for
Album	Only you	Organizing your own photos (events, projects, documents)
Shared album	People you invite or anyone with the link	Collecting and showing photos from a group event
Partner sharing	One chosen person	Automatically sharing all photos, or photos of certain people, with a spouse or partner

How to set up partner sharing instead

Partner sharing is different from an album: it automatically shares new photos with one person as they back up. In the app, tap your profile picture, then Photos settings, then Sharing, then Partner sharing. Choose whether to share all photos or only photos of certain people, pick a start date, select your partner’s Google Account, and send the invitation. On a computer, the same option is under Settings, then Sharing. Sharing photos of specific people isn’t available in every region, and you can only have one partner at a time.

If you only want to send a few pictures once, you don’t need an album at all; sharing the selected photos directly is quicker. Choose an album when you’ll keep adding to the collection over time.

Tips for Organizing With Albums

Albums work best when you set a simple system and stick to it. A few ideas that keep a growing library manageable:

• Name albums so they sort well. Starting titles with the year, such as “2026 Beach Trip” or “2026 Soccer Season,” keeps related albums together and makes them easy to scan.
• Make one album per event, not per day. A single “Wedding” album is easier to share and find than five albums split by date.
• Use albums for practical records. An album for receipts, warranty cards, or screenshots of important information pulls those images out of your everyday photos so you can find them fast.
• Let people albums update themselves. On a computer, the automatic add option described above keeps albums of family members or pets current without extra work.
• Put the best shot on the cover. A clear cover photo helps you and anyone you share with recognize the album at a glance.
• Clean up after sharing. When a group event is over and everyone has added their photos, turn off link sharing and collaboration so the album stays as it is.

Remember that albums are only collections. Deleting a photo from the main Photos view removes it from every album it’s in, so delete from your library only when you truly don’t want the picture anywhere.

Troubleshooting

I don’t see Add to album or New album

Update the Google Photos app from your app store, then try again. Make sure at least one photo is selected, since the album options only appear after you select something. If you see a plus sign or Create instead, that menu contains the album option.

Some photos are missing from the album on other devices

Photos that are only on your phone and haven’t been backed up can’t appear on your computer or for people you share with. Open the app, tap your profile picture, and check the backup status. Wait for backup to finish on Wi-Fi, then check again.

I can’t find the album I made

On iPhone, go to Collections, then Albums. On Android and the web, look for Collections or Albums in the navigation. Also check that you’re signed in to the same Google Account you used when you made it.

I can’t rename or remove photos in a shared album

Only the album’s creator can edit it. If someone else made the album, ask them to make the change.

People can view the shared album but can’t add photos

The Collaborate setting is probably off. As the owner, open the album’s sharing options (More, then Options on a computer, or More, then Sharing on a phone) and turn Collaborate on.

An old album link stopped working

If link sharing was turned off and on again, the album got a new link and the old one no longer works. Send the new link from the album’s Share option.

The album hit its limit

Albums max out at 20,000 photos or videos. Split large collections into several albums, for example by year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does an album use extra storage?

No. Albums point to photos already in your library, so adding a photo to several albums doesn’t create copies.

If I delete an album, are the photos deleted?

No. Deleting an album removes the collection, but your photos and videos stay in your library unless you delete them from the main Photos view.

Can people without Google accounts see my album?

Yes, if you share it with a link. Anyone with the link can view it. Inviting people directly requires them to have a Google Account.

What happens if I leave a shared album?

Everything you added to it, including photos, videos, comments, and likes, is removed from the album.

Can I put one photo in more than one album?

Yes. A photo can belong to as many albums as you like.

How do I make a shared album private again?

Remove all collaborators from the album’s sharing options and turn off link sharing. The album then becomes visible only to you.

Can I make an album in the Google Photos app on iPad?

Yes. The iPad app uses the same steps as the iPhone app.

Summary

1. Open Google Photos on the web or in the app.
2. Select the photos you want to include.
3. Choose Add to album (or Add, then Album), then New album.
4. Name the album and choose Done.
5. Add, remove, rename, or delete from the album’s menus; your library stays intact.
6. Use Share to turn it into a shared album, and manage link sharing and collaboration in the album’s options.

Next step: Pick one recent event, make an album for it, and share it with the people who were there so they can add their own photos.