Summary
- Google Photos now allows users to hide screenshots and memes from third-party apps for a cleaner view.
- You can have images from selected third-party apps show up in the main Photos view.
- The change is rolling out as part of the latest Google Photos release.
Google Photos rolled out Photo stacks in early 2024, reducing clutter from the main Photos view by stacking similar pictures together. It has also been spotted working on manual stacking of images for better organization, though this feature is yet to go live. Google is now rolling out another change in Google Photos to help give your library a cleaner view by letting you hide unwanted screenshots and memes from third-party apps in the grid view.
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By default, Google Photos shows screenshots, pictures, videos, and memes from third-party apps in its main grid view. This is a big problem if you back up media content from apps like WhatsApp, Instagram, and Telegram to Google Photos, as it gives your library a cluttered look. But Google now allows you to customize this view and hide media from other apps for a cleaner look.
First spotted by 9to5Google, the latest Google Photos adds a banner at the top that says, “Photos from other apps now appear in your Photos view.” You can customize this view by tapping Go to settings. Then, enable the Hide clutter from other apps toggle. This will hide pictures and videos from all third-party apps from the main grid view in Google Photos.
Alternatively, if you want to view content from specific apps, select Customize by app, then choose the app whose media content you want to see in the Photos view.
This is a fantastic addition, especially if, like me, you receive a flood of unwanted memes and pictures on WhatsApp but still have to back up its content to Google Photos for work purposes. With this feature, you can easily hide them from the main Photos view while still allowing images from other apps to appear in the main photo grid.
Update to the latest Google Photos release to enjoy a cleaner Photos view
Jules Wang / AP
Google appears to be widely rolling out this change as part of Google Photos v7.14. Grab the update from the Play Store and open the app; a banner should automatically appear at the top. If not, jump into Google Photos Settings → Preferences → Photos view.
With my ever-expanding photo library, I rely on Google Photos to keep everything organized. The option to customize the main Photos view and hide content from third-party apps will make it easier to cut through the clutter.
