It’s been ages since I properly used Google Photos. I’m usually playing with the default gallery app shipped on my OEM device at the time.
In 2026, though, I’ve been more intentional about my storage to avoid keeping two apps that do the same job.
I wasn’t sure whether Google Photos was worth a slot on my Android phone any longer. So, I dug into its features again to compare its value against XOS’s AI Gallery app.
I rediscovered collages, and they’ve turned out to be useful in my daily experiences.
It’s great timing that Google refreshed the app’s editor this July with new layouts and customization options. It encouraged my newfound love for mashing memories beyond selfies.
Collages track my progress over time
I’ve been progress-obsessed of late
Modern collage culture traces back to scrapbooking’s early-2000s peak.
Digital collages followed from around 2005 onward, mostly because of Photoshop accessibility and early social platforms like MySpace and Bebo becoming more popular.
Many users were suddenly motivated to learn basic image editing and make their profiles stand out.
Collage-style compositions were the easiest way to do it. It was especially bad on some occasions, like Snapchat’s flower crown era in 2015.
It was the default cute selfie filter, and people liked to stack four photos on a grid using the app’s built-in collage feature.
Although collage posts are less common now, I still use them to create Polaroid-style edits when I’m feeling nostalgic.
I may increase the border sizes until they’re thick, then arrange them in PicsArt. Then I overlay a Fuji film grain effect using Snapseed, and add the date or poetic quotes in handwritten or calligraphic font.
More recently, you could say I’ve become Victor from the series From. I may go as far as measuring the hair on my head to see how much it’s grown.
The older I get, the more alert I am to changes in my body and in the surrounding things.
Lately, I’ve been taking my health and skincare seriously and learning what works for me. It’s beautiful to see my body reacting accordingly and to be able to tell when something in my routine is off.
I make a collage of products and ingredient labels in Google Photos or photo-editing apps. I also take before-and-after photos of my regimen, much of which was surprisingly and effectively guided by ChatGPT recommendations.
My growing records mean a lot to me because I have sensitive, oily skin that has taken years of trial and error to pacify.
Beyond vanity, I use collages to document topical conditions and healing, as well as my weight gain journey. Part of why they became a regular for me was how Photos pushed the feature in my face.
The Collage tile is the first I see in the Create menu and the first option in the upper-left corner under it, ahead of Highlight video, Cinematic photo, and Animation.
When I scroll down, there’s a whole section dedicated to the feature. But I’m not complaining. I hadn’t drawn in years, but I picked it up again.
I gather my old attempts next to my recent work to see how far I’ve come. I’ve gone from lurking on DeviantArt eight years ago to drawing confidently now, with far fewer mistakes.
I also track my hair growth. I have locs, and my curl pattern changes as they mature.
All of this information compiles into a log I keep in organized folders on my device. I back them up to my SD card.
I’m building a better usage log than my utility company
It’s important that the lights don’t go out
Electricity billing in my region runs on a band system. The distribution company sorts customers into bands from A to E, and your band sets your tariff and the hours of supply you’re promised.
Unfortunately, your band is tied to your feeder, not to you. So, you can be moved to a higher rate when the feeder improves, usually without clear notice.
Their record-keeping isn’t transparent, so the burden of tracking what you paid falls on you.
It gets trickier with the growing accusations from distribution company agents that consumers are bypassing their meters.
In many cases, people are using less grid power because they’ve shifted to solar and other efficient solutions.
I keep my own log because of a lesson learned. I once moved into a new apartment and inherited a meter debt from the previous tenant.
Since then, I have photographed my meter readings and recharge tokens with their dates as evidence for disputing foul bills.
I keep each collage to a maximum of three images, instead of separate images that may take time to sequence. Also, it makes details legible when zoomed in.
Mixing my recipes and greens makes healthier hobbies
It’s better than internet doomscrolling
Part of my progress-tracking efforts spill into the kitchen and the garden. I recently became a professional cook at home and something of a green thumb.
I usually pull recipes from YouTube videos using NotebookLM to extract the steps, then save them in Google Docs.
When I’m bored, I create a mix of the recipe list and the finished meal in Canva while dabbling with different layouts.
It’s easy to share my recipe cards via a link and receive tips or feedback from loved ones.
As for my newfound love for plants, it started with identifying them behind my house with Plantora.
Although the app has built-in features that make it easy to log plant scans, the free version has limitations. I prefer to freely build my own directory of plants with their identification and care notes.
There are multiple sides to every photo
As it turns out, I was wrong to think I could leave Google Photos behind. The audit I started has ended with me keeping it as a staple in my workflow.
It’s doing so well that I don’t always need a separate photo editing app to manipulate shots.
It’s nice to be reminded that it’s more than the backup folder I’d reduced it to.
I’m also exploring the Highlight video tool in the same Create menu to make the short clips and GIFs I send frequently on WhatsApp.
