How to Create a Slideshow With Google Photos

This article explains how to make a simple slideshow of your favorite images in Google Photos. Information applies to Google Photos in a web browser. The Google Photos apps for iOS and Android currently don't offer slideshow functionality.

How to Create a Google Photos Slideshow

Here's how to create your simple Google Photos slideshow.

1. In Google Photos, select Albums in the sidebar and select the album that contains the photos you want in a slideshow.

   Alternatively, you can create a new album specifically for your slideshow.

2. Select the photos you want to appear in the sideshow. Continue making selections until you have chosen all the photos you want to appear in the slideshow. When you choose photos for a slideshow, you can only select from photos in one album.

   If you want to show off every photo in an album, bypass selecting specific photos and go straight to the three-dot icon to trigger a slideshow.

3. Select the three-dot icon in the upper right corner of the screen.

4. Choose Slideshow from the drop-down menu.

5. The slideshow shows all the chosen images in the album and starts automatically with a 5-second fade between photos.

Viewing a Google Photos Slideshow

While you can choose the photos that appear in a Google Photos slideshow, you can't otherwise customize it. The slideshow starts automatically, and you can't change the amount of time a photo is shown before fading into the next one. You also can't add or change music. All you can do is choose the album and the first photo of the slideshow.

Additionally, you can't change the order of the photos. If you create a new album for your slideshow, then the photos display from oldest to newest no matter what order you use when adding them to the album. You can't share your slideshow directly. You can show it off on a device that has Google Photos, or cast it to a Chromecast to show off your photos on a TV, but those are the only options.

This means that if you want a slideshow with all the bells and whistles, you want to look elsewhere. The Google Play Store has several alternatives available that allow you to add music or fine-tune the settings of your slideshow.

If all that you really need is something that is simple and easy to use, then the slideshow from Google Photos is the best option. You can set up a slideshow in just seconds.