Video Slideshows

Our platform and advice is for still images at this time. Advice on capturing videos on your smart phone may come in the future.

As far as slideshows through Google Photos, we are checking the most recent information and may be updating the below soon.

🎬 Create & Customize Slideshows on Your Phone

Your smartphone can do more than snap pics—it can turn them into highlight reels of your favorite memories! Both iPhones and Android phones (with Google Photos) can automatically create slideshows or let you build your own with music, transitions, and more. Whether it’s a birthday, vacation, or just a fun day out, you can relive it all with just a few taps.

🍎 ON iPHONE (Photos App “Memories” Feature)

🔧 How It Works:

iPhones use on-device machine learning to detect:

  • Faces you frequently photograph

  • Significant locations you visit

  • Special events or dates
    It then auto-generates Memories—mini movies using relevant photos, videos, and music styles based on emotion (chill, uplifting, dramatic, etc.).

🔍 To Find an Automatic Slideshow (Memory):

  1. Open the Photos app

  2. Tap the For You tab at the bottom

  3. Scroll through the Memories carousel

▶️ To Watch & Access Editing Options:

  1. Tap any Memory to watch

  2. Tap the screen to show the menu

  3. ⋯ Tap the three dots (top right)

  4. Tap Manage Memory or Edit

🛠️ What You Can Edit:

  • Music: Select a style (Happy, Chill, etc.) or use your Apple Music

  • Title: Customize the name of the memory

  • Photos/Videos: Add or remove specific clips

  • Filter & Theme: Apply looks like black-and-white, vintage, or modern

  • Duration: Auto-adjusts based on content, not fully manual

🎥 To Manually Create a Slideshow (Album Slideshow Style):

  1. Go to the Albums tab

  2. Tap any Album or create one

  3. Tap the Play icon (if visible)

  4. Tap the screen to change Theme and Music

📦 For more control, use the iMovie app to create a full video from scratch.

🤖 ON ANDROID (Using Google Photos App)

📝 These steps also work on iPhones using the Google Photos app

🔧 How It Works:

Google Photos uses cloud-based AI to scan your images by:

  • Facial recognition

  • Geotags and timestamps

  • Special occasions or trips

It then creates auto-stories or Memories, sometimes even complete with background music.

🔍 To View an Auto-Generated Memory:

  1. Open Google Photos

  2. Tap the Home tab

  3. Look for Memory circles at the top

  4. Tap any memory to watch

🎶 These are often not editable—think of them as photo highlights.

🎞️ To Make Your Own Slideshow Movie:

  1. Tap the Library tab

  2. Tap Utilities

  3. Tap Movie

  4. Choose a preset theme OR tap “New movie”

  5. Select up to 50 photos/videos

  6. Tap Create

🛠️ What You Can Edit:

  • Media: Add/remove photos or video clips

  • Reorder: Drag and drop content

  • Music: Choose from preset tracks or upload your own

  • Length: Control how long each image appears

  • Save: Download and share your finished movie

💡 Final Thoughts

Slideshows are a powerful, low-effort way to relive your favorite memories. iPhones excel in polished, auto-generated "Memories," while Android users have more manual control with Google Photos. Both systems offer easy-to-use interfaces, so even total beginners can look like editing pros.

🎉 Pro Tip: These are great for birthdays, travel recaps, year-in-review videos, or just sending a smile to someone special.


If you don’t think photographs are important, wait until there are all you have left.
— Missy Mwac