Memories is one of Google Photos’ standout features, and now, thanks to an update, you can share them as video files even with people who don’t have the app.
But Memories in their default state can feel underwhelming. If you want them to really shine, you’ll need to take the time to make a couple of edits.
Add, Remove, and Rearrange Your Photos
Google Photos does a great job of automatically selecting the pictures and videos that will show up in your Memories. I’ve been impressed many times by how well it categorizes images, avoids duplicates, and maintains continuity.
However, it’s not perfect. Sometimes, the odd photo slips in, or Google Photos picks an unflattering picture or cuts the memory short when I was expecting more. Fortunately, you can manually improve the quality of your memories by adding, removing, or rearranging photos and videos.
The first thing you need to know before you go messing with your Memories is that it consists of two parts: the highlight video (which is what you’ll be sharing with others), and the album, which contains all the photos and videos that form the basis of your memory. To add media to the highlight video, you first need to add it to the album.
To add photos or videos to the album, open the memory you want to edit and tap the options icon (three dots) in the top-right corner. Select “Edit” from the menu, then tap the gallery icon. This will take you to your media library, where you can select the photos and videos you want to add. Once you’re satisfied with your selection, tap “Add”, and they will be included in the album.
Once the photos are in the album, tap “Edit” on the highlight video to open the highlight editor. Select the photos or videos you want to feature in the video and uncheck any you don’t need. Tap “Done” to save your changes.
Rearranging the photos and videos in your Memory is just as easy. Head to the album, tap and hold the photo or video you want to move and drag it to the desired position. Sometimes, the position changes may not immediately be reflected in the highlight video. If this happens, try removing and reinserting the highlight video to ensure the rearrangement is applied.
Set the Mood With the Right Song
Half of what makes a great video is good audio, and if you want your memory to dazzle, you need to have the perfect soundtrack accompanying it.
By default, Google Photos adds instrumental music to your Memories, but the default tracks might not match the vibe you’re going for. To make it feel just right, you’ll need to take control of the audio yourself.
Since Google Photos doesn’t have an option to change the music directly, you’ll need to remove the default audio and add the right music with another app.
Start by opening the memory you want to edit and tapping the “Share” icon. From there, select the option to share as a video and choose “Edit”. Toggle off the “Share with music” button, and select “Done”. This will remove the default music.
Once that’s settled, it’s time to find a track that fits the vibe you’re after, or even make your own. Any video editing app can handle this, but I’ve found that CapCut is an easy and reliable option. Simply export the video from Google Photos, import it into CapCut, and layer in the soundtrack that feels right.
Say It With Text
Sometimes what your memory needs to really stand out is a little bit of context, and what better way to do that than with text?
Adding text to your Memories is pretty straightforward. Simply open the picture or video you want to add text to and select “Edit” from the options. Switch to the “Markup” tab and select “Text”. You can type in whatever you want, and even choose a color to match.
It’s a little disappointing that Google Photos doesn’t give you more fonts to choose from. However, you can get around this by using a more powerful video editing application to add text.
Bring It to Life With Effects
The right effect can take your memory from zero to a hundred, so make sure to make liberal use of them where you can.
In Google Photos, you can peruse the Effects library by tapping “Edit” and switching to the “Effects” tab.
However, the library is a little limited, so I usually entrust this job to CapCut because it has a much bigger effect library.
There Are Other Fun Things You Can Do With Your Photos
The fun with Google Photos doesn’t end at Memories. There are plenty of creative ways to make your photos and videos even more exciting. For starters, you can make collages of your favorite photos, transform an ordinary photo into a cinematic picture, and my personal favorite– create a multi-photo animated GIF.
Google Photos offers powerful features like advanced search, collaborative albums, and generous free storage, all of which make it a photo management app I can’t live without. Take some time to explore it, and you just might discover features you never knew existed.
