How to Customize Google Photos Collections on Android

Google Photos on Android just received a major update to its Collections tab. The redesign focuses on giving you control over what appears and in what order. Instead of a fixed layout, you can now pin shortcuts, hide entire sections, and rearrange carousels to match how you use the app.

This change arrives with Google Photos version 7.97 and rolls out server-side. Many users see it after a simple device restart and relaunch of the app. It follows the floating navigation bar that arrived earlier in 2026.

What the New Collections Tab Includes

The updated page starts with a Pinned section. By default it shows Favorites, Screenshots, and Trash as a horizontal carousel. You can edit which cards appear here or remove the section completely.

Below that come dedicated carousels for On this device, Albums, People & pets, Wardrobe, Places, and Documents. Each includes a View all link that opens the full grid or list. You can hide any of these carousels or change their order.

An Other Collections grid sits at the bottom. It contains Favorites, Screenshots, Moments, Videos, Recently Added, Stickers, Creations, Archive, Locked, and Trash. A Reorder button at the very bottom lets you adjust this grid as well.

The previous design used a fixed 2×2 grid at the top with large category cards underneath. The new version replaces that rigid structure with flexible sections you control.

How to Pin and Edit Shortcuts

Open the Google Photos app and tap the Collections tab in the bottom bar. If the new layout has reached your account, you will see the Pinned carousel at the top.

1. Tap the Edit button in the top-right corner of the Pinned section.
2. Review the current pinned cards.
3. Tap the plus icon or available options to add more shortcuts such as Videos or Archive.
4. Drag cards to change their left-to-right order.
5. Tap the unpin or remove control on any card you no longer want.
6. Save your changes.

You can also hide the entire Pinned section if you prefer a cleaner start. The rest of the page remains available.

How to Hide and Reorder Sections

Scroll past the Pinned area. Each major carousel has its own controls.

• Tap the three-dot menu or the hide option on a carousel such as Places or Documents to remove it from view.
• Use the Reorder control (often at the bottom of the page or within the customize flow) to drag sections into a new sequence.
• Tap View all on any carousel to jump straight into its full contents without affecting the main layout.

The Other Collections grid at the bottom works the same way. Tap Reorder and rearrange the tiles. Changes stick across app restarts because the preference is stored with your account.

Practical Tips for a Cleaner Library

Pin only the items you open daily. Favorites and Screenshots make sense for most people. Trash is useful if you regularly review deleted items, but you can unpin it if you prefer.

Hide categories you never use. Wardrobe and Documents stay out of the way until you need them. This reduces scrolling when you mainly want Albums or People & pets.

Check the app version if the new layout has not appeared. Open the Play Store, search for Google Photos, and update to 7.97 or later. Then restart your phone and open Photos again. Server-side features sometimes need a restart to activate.

The redesign works alongside other Photos tools. Your existing albums, locked folder, and partner sharing remain unchanged. Only the Collections tab layout is customizable.

For related Android productivity features, see our guide on setting up Android Advanced Protection.

Common Questions

Does this work on iOS? The current redesign reports focus on Android with Google Photos 7.97. iOS may receive similar controls later.

Will my custom order sync? Yes. Preferences tied to your Google account should appear on other Android devices signed into the same account once the update reaches them.

Can I still sort albums the old way? Yes. Inside any album you can still change sort order by most recent photo, last modified, or album title.

What if I do not see the Edit or Reorder buttons? Wait a day or two for the server-side rollout, force-close Photos, or restart the device. Clear the app cache only as a last step.

Watch a Related Tutorial

Conclusion

The Collections tab redesign gives Android users direct control over the Google Photos library view. Pin the shortcuts you need, hide the ones you do not, and reorder the carousels so the most useful sections appear first. Update to version 7.97, restart if necessary, and spend a few minutes customizing the layout. The result is a faster path to the photos, albums, and categories you actually use.

Sources

• Google Photos rolls out customizable redesign of your ‘Collections’ tab — 9to5Google, 26 October 2026
• Google Photos Adds Customizable Collections Redesign on Android — The Daily Tech Feed
• Beginner Guide to Using Google Photos on Android — YouTube