Google Photos for Android gets a customisable Collections tab

Google Photos on Android is getting a redesign of its Collections tab that puts customisation first, according to 9to5Google ^[1]. The update follows the floating navigation bar that arrived in July and is now widely rolling out with Google Photos version 7.97 ^[1].

What has changed

The old Collections page began with a two-by-two grid. Favourites and Trash sat at the top while the other two shortcuts changed with usage. Below that came large cards for Albums, On this device, People and pets, Wardrobe, Documents, Places, Stickers and Moments. On Android, a list followed with Screenshots, Videos, Recently Added, Archive and Locked ^[1].

The new layout starts with a section called "Pinned", where users choose which cards appear. By default the carousel shows Favourites, Screenshots and Trash, and the section can be removed entirely ^[1].

After that come carousels for On this device, Albums, People and pets, Wardrobe, Places and Documents. A "View all" option at the top right jumps to the full grid or list view, and each section can be hidden or moved ^[1]. An "Other Collections" grid completes the page, listing Favourites, Screenshots, Moments, Videos, Recently Added, Stickers, Creations, Archive, Locked and Trash, with a "Reorder" button at the bottom ^[1].

How it arrives

9to5Google says the redesign is a server-side update, meaning it switches on from Google's side rather than needing a new install. Its writers found that restarting their devices and then opening the Photos app triggered it, rather than the usual "Force stop" approach ^[1]. As with most staged rollouts, you may not see it immediately.

Why it matters

Photo libraries tend to grow into piles of screenshots, documents and receipts. Letting people pin the collections they use most, and hide the ones they do not, is a small change that can make the app quicker to use day to day. The presence of Documents and Screenshots as first-class collections is a reminder that many people use their photo app as a general-purpose store of visual information, not only holiday snaps.

For businesses, this is relevant mainly for staff who photograph receipts, whiteboards and paperwork on their phones. A tidier way to reach the Documents and Screenshots collections can save a few taps. It is not a security or storage change, and the source describes only the interface redesign.

What to do

If you manage Android phones for a team, there is nothing to deploy. Individual users should update to Google Photos 7.97 and, if the new Collections tab has not appeared, restart the phone and reopen the app, as 9to5Google did ^[1]. The report does not mention an iPhone version, so assume this is Android only for now.

Interface changes like this are easy to overlook, but they shape how people find their own content. Whether the customisation sticks will depend on how many users bother to rearrange their tab, and on whether Google keeps adding new collection types, given that the page already lists Wardrobe and Creations ^[1].

Source: 9to5Google — Google Photos rolls out customizable redesign of your 'Collections' tab