Anika Begay
Say goodbye to the library tab in Google Photos, because Google is introducing a new destination called Collections that is supposed to make “finding content easier than ever.” Collections house all your albums in one place, including your private albums and those shared with you by others, as well as new folders for people and pets, documents, and places.
The Collections view, which replaces the existing Library tab but retains the same bookshelf-style icon, is currently rolling out to all Google Photos users on Android and iOS, but it may take a few weeks before it is available on all devices.
Users can go to the Collections tab and tap Albums to switch between views like “All,” “Shared with me,” and “My albums.” Folders for “Favorites” and “Trash” will appear at the top, while Google says the remaining two tiles “may rotate based on what you browse the most.” Users’ pinned folders will no longer be suggested at the top of the Collections view following complaints about their placement.
The Utilities folder will be completely removed, but the tools within it will simply be relocated. For example, the option to create a Locked Folder can now be found by scrolling to the bottom of Collections. Options to import images and create albums, collages, and highlighted videos can be found by tapping the “+” symbol, while things like freeing up space on your device and managing photo frames now require tapping your Google Photos account profile.
