Open Google Photos and select the photos you want
A slideshow in Google Photos plays your pictures one after another with transitions and music. You start by opening Google Photos on your phone, tablet, or computer, then picking which photos to include. The easiest way is to create an album first — this keeps your slideshow organized and lets you add or remove photos later without starting over.
On your phone or tablet, tap the Library tab at the bottom, then tap Create new and choose Album. Name it something you'll recognize, like "Vacation 2024" or "Birthday Party". Add photos by tapping the plus sign and selecting them from your camera roll or existing albums. On a computer, go to Photos on the left, then click Create and select Album. Drag photos into the album or click Add photos to browse your library.
Key Takeaways
- Create an album first, then open it and tap the three dots to find the slideshow option — this is faster than trying to start a slideshow from loose photos.
- Google Photos plays slides in the order they appear in your album, so arrange them before you start if the order matters to you.
- You can choose music from Google's library or use silence, and adjust how long each photo stays on screen.
- Slideshows play full-screen on phones and tablets but appear in a window on computers, so test on the device where you'll actually watch it.
- The slideshow plays once and stops — it does not loop automatically, so you will need to restart it if you want it to run again.
Start the slideshow from your album
Once your album is ready, open it and look for the three vertical dots in the top right corner. Tap or click those dots, then select Slideshow from the menu. Google Photos will when ready start playing your photos full-screen with a fade transition between each one.
On a phone or tablet, the slideshow takes over your entire screen. On a computer, it opens in a smaller window. If you want to stop it at any point, tap or click the screen, and a pause button will appear. You can also swipe left or right on a phone to skip to the next or previous photo.
Arrange photos in the order you want them to play
Google Photos plays slides in the order they appear in your album, from top to bottom. If the order matters — for example, if you want photos from the beginning of an event first — rearrange them before you start the slideshow.
On your phone or tablet, open the album, tap Edit in the top right, then tap and hold a photo to drag it to a new position. Release it when it's where you want it. On a computer, open the album, click Edit album in the top right, then drag photos to reorder them. Click Done when you're finished. The next time you play a slideshow from this album, it will use the new order.
Add music and adjust timing
By default, Google Photos plays slideshows silently with a fade between each photo. To add music, start the slideshow, then look for a music note icon (usually in the bottom left on phones, or near the controls on computers). Tap or click it to see Google's music library.
Google provides royalty-free songs in different moods — upbeat, calm, dramatic, and so on. Choose one and it will play throughout the slideshow. If you prefer silence, you can leave the music off. The timing of each photo is set automatically (usually 3 to 5 seconds per photo), and Google Photos does not let you change this in the slideshow itself — the timing is the same regardless of which music you pick.
Save or share your slideshow
Google Photos does not save slideshows as separate video files. Once you close the slideshow, it's gone — the next time you open that album and start a slideshow, Google Photos creates a new one with the current photos and settings.
If you want to keep a slideshow permanently, you have two options. The first is to record your screen while the slideshow plays, then save the video file to your device. On an iPhone, swipe down from the top right and long-press the record button. On Android, go to Settings > Advanced > Screen recorder and start recording before you play the slideshow. On a computer, use a screen recording tool like OBS Studio or your operating system's built-in recorder.
The second option is to share the album itself with others. Open the album, tap or click the share icon (usually a person with a plus sign), and send the link to friends or family. They can view the photos and create their own slideshow from the same album.
Troubleshoot common slideshow problems
If the slideshow won't start, make sure you're opening it from an album, not from a search result or a single photo. Slideshows only work from albums or from the main Photos view if you've selected multiple photos. If you're on a phone and the slideshow keeps pausing, check that your screen is not set to lock automatically — go to your device settings and increase the screen timeout while you're watching.
If the music is not playing, check your device's volume and make sure you're not in silent mode. On a computer, verify that your browser has permission to play audio. If the slideshow looks blurry or pixelated, this usually means Google Photos is still loading the full-resolution versions of your photos — wait a few seconds before starting the slideshow, or make sure you have a stable internet connection.
Use slideshows for different situations
A slideshow works well for displaying photos at a gathering — connect your phone or tablet to a TV or projector and play it on a larger screen. Create separate albums for different events so you can switch between them without scrolling through hundreds of photos. For a birthday party, make an album with photos from that day. For a family reunion, create one album per family branch or per year.
You can also use slideshows to review your own photos. Create an album from a specific month or trip, then play it back to relive the moment. Since Google Photos stores all your photos in the cloud, you can access these albums and slideshows from any device where you're signed in.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make a slideshow from photos on my computer without uploading them to Google Photos first?
No. Google Photos only creates slideshows from photos that are already in your account. You must upload them first, either by opening Google Photos on your computer and dragging them in, or by using Google's backup tool to sync your computer's photos automatically.
Can I use my own music instead of Google's library?
Google Photos does not let you upload custom music or choose a song from your device. You can only use the music from Google's built-in library, or play the slideshow silently. If you need custom music, record the slideshow as a video and add music in a video editor afterward.
Does the slideshow loop automatically or play only once?
The slideshow plays once from start to finish, then stops. If you want it to play again, you must tap or click to restart it. There is no automatic loop option in Google Photos.
Can I adjust how long each photo appears on screen?
Google Photos sets the timing automatically and does not provide a way to change it within the app. Each photo typically appears for 3 to 5 seconds. If you need custom timing, record the slideshow as a video and edit it in a video editor.
What happens to my slideshow if I delete a photo from the album?
The next time you play a slideshow from that album, the deleted photo will not appear. Existing slideshows are not saved as files, so there is nothing to update — Google Photos straightforward plays whatever photos are currently in the album.