Google Photos does not have a merge button for albums. To combine two albums, open the album you want to fold in, select its photos, add them to the album you want to keep, and then delete the now-redundant album if you like. Deleting an album does not delete the photos in it; they stay in your Google Photos library.
The same approach works in the Google Photos app on Android and iPhone and on photos.google.com in a computer browser. A computer is usually the easiest option for large albums.
Quick Answer
- Open Google Photos and go to the album you want to merge into another one (the source album).
- Select the photos and videos in it.
- Choose Add to album and pick the album you want to keep (the destination album).
- Open the destination album and check that everything arrived.
- Optional: open the source album, tap More, then Delete album. Your photos stay in your library.
In This Guide
- Before You Start
- Merge Albums on Android or iPhone
- Merge Albums on a Computer
- Delete the Old Album Safely
- Merging Shared Albums
- Which Method Should You Use?
- Troubleshooting
- Frequently Asked Questions
Before You Start
This guide covers the Google Photos app on Android and iPhone and Google Photos on the web, as of September 2026. Button names come from Google Photos Help, but Google updates the app often, so labels and icons can vary slightly by version.
A few things to know first:
- Albums are collections, not folders. An album groups photos that are already in your library, and the same photo can appear in more than one album. That is why removing a photo from an album, or deleting the album, leaves the photo in your library.
- Size limit. An album can hold up to 20,000 photos or videos. If both albums together exceed that, you will need to keep them separate or split the content.
- Ownership matters. Only the person who created an album can edit or delete it. Collaborators on a shared album can only add photos and videos.
- Same account. Both albums must be in the Google Account you are signed in to. Albums in a different Google Account cannot be combined this way.
Decide which album you want to keep. It is usually easiest to keep the album with the better name, cover photo or sharing settings, and move the contents of the other album into it.
Merge Albums on Android or iPhone
These steps use the Google Photos app. The flow is the same on Android and iPhone, with small label differences noted below.
- Open the Google Photos app and go to your albums (in the Collections or Library area, depending on your version).
- Open the source album, the one whose contents you want to move.
- Touch and hold the first photo to start selecting. Expected result: a check mark appears on the photo and a selection menu shows at the top or bottom of the screen.
- Tap each additional photo or video you want to include. On many versions, you can also keep your finger down after the first touch and drag across photos to select several at once.
- In the selection menu, tap Add to album. If you do not see it, look for a plus icon or open More (three dots) to find it.
- Choose the destination album from the list. Expected result: the selected items are added to that album, and a short confirmation may appear.
- Open the destination album and scroll through it to confirm everything is there.
For long albums, selecting items one at a time on a phone can be slow. Our guide on how to select all photos in Google Photos covers faster selection options.
Alternative: add from inside the destination album
Google also lets you add items from within the album you are keeping:
- Open the destination album.
- Tap Add to album (on Android and iPhone it is at the bottom of the album).
- Select the items you want to add.
- Tap Done on Android, or Add at the top right on iPhone.
This method shows your library rather than the other album, so it works best when the photos you want are easy to find by date. Selecting from the source album is usually more reliable for a true merge.
Merge Albums on a Computer
A computer browser is the most comfortable way to merge large albums, because you can see more photos at once.
- Go to photos.google.com and sign in to your Google Account.
- Click Albums in the left menu and open the source album.
- Hover over the first photo and click the check mark in its corner to select it.
- Select the rest of the photos. In many browsers, you can select a range by clicking the first photo, holding Shift, and clicking the last photo; if that does not work in your browser, click each check mark individually.
- Click the Add (plus) icon at the top right and choose Album. Labels can vary slightly; look for an option to add to an existing album.
- Pick the destination album. Expected result: the photos are added to it.
- Open the destination album to confirm the photos are there.
You can also open the destination album, click Add to album, select items from your library, and click Done, the same way as on a phone.
Delete the Old Album Safely
Once the destination album has everything, you can remove the source album so you are not left with two versions. Google’s help says photos and videos in a deleted album remain in your Google Photos library unless you delete them from the main Photos section.
Warning: before deleting, open the destination album and confirm that every photo made it over. Also make sure you are deleting the album itself, not selecting photos and moving them to the trash. Moving photos to the trash deletes them from your library, which also takes them out of your albums.
- Open the source album you no longer need.
- Tap or click More (three dots) at the top right.
- Choose Delete album and confirm. Expected result: the album disappears from your album list, while its photos remain in your library and in the destination album.
If you only want to tidy the destination album after merging, you can remove individual items without deleting them: open the album, tap More and then Edit album (on iPhone, tap Edit at the bottom), tap Remove on the items, and tap Done. Removed items stay in your library.
Merging Shared Albums
Shared albums follow the same add-then-delete pattern, with a few extra rules:
- Adding is open to collaborators. When you share a link to an album, anyone with the link can view the photos and add to the album. So you can add photos from another album into a shared album even if you are not its owner, as long as adding is allowed.
- Only the owner can delete or edit. If you did not create the source album, you cannot delete it; ask the owner to do so.
- Leaving removes your contributions. If you leave a shared album, all of the photos, videos, comments and likes you added to it are removed from that album. Do not leave the destination shared album after merging into it.
- Removing is not deleting. Removing a photo you added to a shared album does not delete it from your Google Photos library.
If you want everyone to see the combined album, merge into the shared album and then share its link again. Our guide on how to share a Google Photos album walks through sharing options.
Which Method Should You Use?
| Situation | Best method | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Small albums (under a few dozen photos) | Phone app | Quick to select a handful of items |
| Large albums | Computer browser | Easier to see and select many photos |
| You want a brand-new combined album | Create a new album, then add from both albums | Keeps both originals until you are happy |
| Destination is a shared album | Add to the shared album | Collaborators can add; everyone sees the result |
| Combined total over 20,000 items | Keep separate albums | Albums are limited to 20,000 photos or videos |
If you prefer to start fresh with a new album, see our guide on how to make a Google Photos album, then add the contents of both old albums into it.
Troubleshooting
I cannot find Add to album
Make sure at least one photo is selected, then check the selection menu and the More (three dots) menu. Update the Google Photos app if the option is missing.
Some photos did not get added
Check whether the destination album has reached the 20,000 item limit. Also check that you selected everything, especially photos near the end of a long album.
I cannot delete the old album
Only the album’s creator can delete it. If someone else shared it with you, ask them to delete it or simply leave it alone. Keep in mind that leaving a shared album removes anything you added to it.
Photos seem to be missing after deleting an album
Deleting an album does not delete its photos. Check the main Photos view and search your library. If you moved photos to the trash instead, check the Trash (called Bin in some regions) in Google Photos, where recently deleted items can usually be restored for a limited time.
The merged album is out of order
Look in the album’s More menu for sorting or rearranging options. Available options can vary by app version and platform.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a merge albums button in Google Photos?
No. Google Photos Help describes creating albums, adding and removing items, and deleting albums, but not merging. Adding one album’s contents to another is the way to combine them.
Does adding photos to a second album create duplicates?
Adding a photo to an album groups an item that is already in your library, so you should not see a second copy of it in your main Photos view. Removing it from an album also leaves the original in your library.
Will deleting the old album delete my photos?
No. According to Google, photos and videos in a deleted album remain in your library unless you delete them from the main Photos section.
Can I merge albums from two different Google Accounts?
Not with the steps in this guide, which work within one signed-in account. Moving photos between accounts is a separate process, such as sharing an album with the other account, and it is outside the scope of this guide.
How many photos can one album hold?
Up to 20,000 photos or videos, according to Google Photos Help.
Can collaborators merge albums in a shared album?
Collaborators can add photos and videos to a shared album, but only the owner can edit album details or delete the album.
Summary
- Pick the album to keep and the album to fold in.
- Open the source album and select its photos and videos.
- Use Add to album and choose the destination album.
- Check the destination album to confirm everything arrived.
- Delete the old album with More, then Delete album; your photos stay in your library.
Next step: review Google’s official create and edit albums help for Android, the computer version of the same page, and sharing photos and videos if you are working with shared albums.
Kermit Matthews is a freelance writer based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with more than a decade of experience writing technology guides. He has a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Computer Science and has spent much of his professional career in IT management.
He specializes in writing content about iPhones, Android devices, Microsoft Office, and many other popular applications and devices.