Grouping photos in Word lets you move and resize multiple images as a single unit

When you have several photos in a Word document that you want to keep together — whether they're arranged in a grid, a collage, or a cluster — grouping them saves you from accidentally moving them one at a time. Once grouped, the photos act as a single object: you can move them all at once, resize them together, and they'll stay in the same relationship to each other.

The grouping feature works the same way in Word on Windows and Mac, though the menu path differs slightly. You'll select all the photos you want to group, then use the Group command to lock them together. You can ungroup them later if you need to adjust individual photos.

Key Takeaways

  • Select all the photos you want to group by clicking the first one, then holding Shift and clicking each additional photo.
  • Right-click on one of the selected photos and choose Group from the menu, or use the Picture Format tab in the ribbon.
  • Grouped photos move and resize together as a single unit, but you can ungroup them anytime to edit individual images.
  • Grouping works best when photos are already positioned where you want them relative to each other.

Select all the photos you want to group

Start by clicking on the first photo you want to include in the group. You'll see selection handles (small squares) appear around it.

Now hold down the Shift key and click on each additional photo you want to add to the group. Each photo you click while holding Shift will be added to your selection. You'll see all selected photos get selection handles around them. If you accidentally click the wrong photo, click somewhere else in the document to start over, then begin again with the first photo.

Make sure all the photos you want grouped are selected before moving to the next step. You can select as many photos as you need — there's no limit.

Group the photos using the right-click menu

With all your photos selected, right-click on one of them. A context menu will appear with several options.

Look for the word "Group" in the menu. Click on it, and a submenu will open. Select "Group" from that submenu (not "Group Layout" or other options). Word will when ready lock all the selected photos together. The selection handles will now appear around the entire group rather than around individual photos.

If you don't see a Group option in the right-click menu, try the alternative method using the ribbon instead.

Use the Picture Format tab if the right-click menu doesn't show Group

If the Group option doesn't appear when you right-click, you may be working with a version of Word that uses the ribbon menu instead. With your photos still selected, look at the top of the window for a tab labeled "Picture Format" or "Drawing Tools."

Click on that tab to open it. In the ribbon that appears, look for a button labeled "Group" — it's usually on the right side of the ribbon. Click the Group button, then select "Group" from the dropdown menu that appears.

This method works the same way as the right-click approach; the photos will be locked together once you complete it.

Move and resize your grouped photos

Now that your photos are grouped, you can click anywhere on the group and drag it to a new location in your document. All the photos will move together, maintaining their positions relative to each other.

To resize the entire group, click on one of the corner selection handles and drag it inward or outward. The group will shrink or grow while keeping all the photos proportional to each other. If you drag a side or top handle instead of a corner, you may distort the group, so corner handles are usually the safest choice.

The grouped photos will stay together even if you copy and paste them, or if you move them to a different page in your document.

Ungroup photos when you need to edit individual images

If you need to adjust one photo in the group — to move it slightly, resize it differently, or delete it — you'll need to ungroup first. Right-click on the grouped photos and select "Group" from the menu, then choose "Ungroup" from the submenu.

The photos will no longer be locked together, and you can now click on individual photos to move or resize them separately. You can group them again later using the same steps as before. Ungrouping doesn't delete or change the photos themselves — it just removes the lock that held them together.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I group photos with text boxes or other objects?

Yes. The grouping feature works with any objects in Word — photos, shapes, text boxes, and charts can all be grouped together. Select all the objects you want to group using Shift-click, then use the Group command the same way you would with photos alone.

What happens to a grouped photo if I delete one image from the group?

You must ungroup first before you can delete an individual photo. Once ungrouped, you can click on the photo you want to remove and press Delete. The other photos will remain where they are. If you want them to stay grouped after that, select them and group them again.

Will my grouped photos stay grouped if I save and reopen the document?

Yes. Word remembers grouping when you save the document. When you reopen it, the photos will still be grouped. If you need to edit individual photos later, you can ungroup them at that time.

Can I group photos that are in different parts of the document?

Yes, you can select and group photos that are on different pages or far apart in the document. However, grouping works best when photos are close together, because moving the group will move all of them at once, which may push some photos to unexpected locations.