Google Photos

Google Photos can share Memories as a video file – here’s how

Ben Schoon | Nov 19 2024 - 7:20 am PT

A new update to Google Photos is making it significantly easier to share Memories by simply turning them into a video file.

Memories in Google Photos are one of the best parts of the service as the feature can surface old pictures and videos from years prior in a story-like format. Google has been building out the feature for a while, but sharing has always been a little frustrating.

Back in 2022, Google explained that Memories were one of the most-used features of Photos, and introduced the ability to share Memories through Photos with friends and family. However, this still wasn’t ideal for sharing with people who didn’t already have Google Photos. Google had also introduced the ability to share specific photos or videos from a memory, but has since expanded sharing in a bigger way.

Google Photos is now able to create a video slideshow that shares as a video file to replicate the design and music of Memories, but make them easier to share anywhere.

The video file can be shared through a message, or even to social media. The video gets an overlay with the same text as what you see in Google Photos, and it has the same music and transition effects. The video is created when you tap “Share memory” and then pick a destination for sharing that’s outside of the Photos app. The change was highlighted by Smartdroid and we’ve found it to be live in Photos v7.7.0 on Android, but it appears to be a server-side update as we’ve been able to replicate it on much older versions of the app.

Google initially teased this functionality in 2023 alongside the debut of other new features, but it’s unclear when it started rolling out widely.

It’s certainly a welcome addition, as this has been a common complaint for users over the years. Google is also showing a small pop-up when opening Memories to prompt users regarding this updated sharing functionality and, apparently, there’s a new UI coming to more clearly surface this ability.