Organizing Google Photos

Organizing Google Photos

October 24, 2020
Created by April Jackson

My grandmother, Vanilla White, passed away on July 13, 2009. At her funeral, I took many photos of my family so we would always have those memories to look back on.

Back then, the only way I knew how to share photos was through email. As you can imagine, there were quite a few pictures. Because email had size limits for attachments, I had to send multiple emails to different family members just to share them all.

You can see how this method of sharing photos quickly became time-consuming and frustrating. Not only did it take extra effort, but it also limited how many photos I could send at one time.

It wasn’t until I discovered Google Photos that my problem with sharing and organizing pictures was finally solved. With Google Photos, I could store all of my memories in one place and easily share entire albums with my family instead of sending email after email.

Why Organize Google Photos?

Over time, Google Photos can become cluttered with thousands of pictures and videos. Organizing your photos helps you quickly find memories, share albums with family, and create keepsakes like collages or movies. A little organization goes a long way!

Tips for Organizing Albums

• Family Albums: Place events like graduations or weddings in the family album of the person featured. Example: April’s graduation photos with April in them go in the Wiggins Family album.

• Multiple Families: If a photo includes members from different families, add it to each relevant album.

• Event Albums: Create albums for major events such as birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, vacations, and holidays.
  
  

Moving Photos Between Accounts

There are two main ways to move photos from one Google account to another:

1. Sharing Between Accounts

   • Share photos from one account to another through Google Photos sharing.

   • Save them into the new account. (Note: albums won’t transfer this way.)

   • Google Photos detects duplicates, but double-check as file details may differ.
     
     

2. Google Takeout

   • Go to Google Takeout.

   • Select Google Photos (all albums or just specific ones).

   • Download as a zip file, then extract it.

   • Tip: Use an external hard drive to save space on your computer.
     
     

Moving Albums Between Accounts

• Organize photos into albums before transferring.

• Use Google Takeout to download only the albums you want.

• Extract the zip file, then recreate each album in the new account and upload the photos.

• Verify placement by checking the photo info (“i” button).

• Delete duplicates or empty albums after transferring.
  
  

Moving Photos Between Albums

• Select multiple images using Shift + click.

• Use the “+” sign in the corner to add photos to a new or existing album.

• After moving, remove them from the original album to keep everything clean.
  
  

Adding Locations to Albums

• Open the album, click the three dots > Edit Album.

• Click the pin icon (Add Location) and place the location bar where it fits best.

• Add multiple locations if needed, and drag photos under the right section.

• Hit the checkmark to save.
  
  

Recommended Album Categories

• Holidays: Christmas, Thanksgiving, 4th of July, Halloween, etc.

• Trips & Vacations: Include location tags for easy recall.

• Special Events: Weddings, anniversaries, graduations, reunions.

• Family Albums: Organized by last name.

• Everyday Life: Food, drinks, desserts, pets, and places you’ve called home.

Sharing Options

• Create a Link: Send to friends or family.

• Social Media: Share directly on Facebook or Twitter.

• Email Invitations: Invite people to specific albums.
  
  

Final Thoughts

Once you’ve organized your Google Photos, you’ll have a much clearer view of your memories. It’s a big project, but the payoff is huge—you’ll be able to easily share albums, relive events, and create personalized gifts. Organization brings peace of mind and makes your photo collection truly enjoyable.