How to Create Photo Books Using Google Photos

With more than one billion users, Google Photos is one of the world’s most popular photo management services. Its versatile functions include storing, organizing, editing, and sharing, as well as analyzing photos and recognizing faces, landmarks, and subjects. Google Photos is a top choice among users of Gmail, Google Drive, and Android devices – and Mixbookers!

Mixbook and Google Photos make an excellent pair. In fact, Google Photos imports are integrated directly into the Mixbook’s platform, making it even quicker and easier to create incredible photo books.

This guide explains the steps for creating Google Photos albums, which you can then upload directly to Mixbook. The process is straightforward and efficient, leaving you with more time to invest in creating the perfect photo book full of captured memories – and making beautiful new memories as well.

How to use Google Photos for a photo book

If Google Photos is your primary photo management service, then it’s the go-to place to find the images for your next photo book project. If you have some photos stored in Google Photos and others elsewhere, that works too! Just be ready to upload the images to Mixbook from multiple sources.

Step 1: Launch Google Photos

Open Google Photos, either using the app on your smartphone or tablet, or the desktop/web version on a computer. On the Google Photos home screen, you should see your most recent photos and past memories.

Step 2: Create a new album

Locate the “Library” tab – the third tab to the right in the Google Photos app – where you can access your Albums, Favorites, Archives, and Trash. Tap on the “Library” tab, and then click the “New Album +” tab to create a new album.

In the desktop version of Google Photos, the Albums, Favorites, Archives, and Trash options are in a vertical panel on the left. There are two ways to create a new album in the desktop version of Google Photos:

• Click the “Albums” tab on the left, then “+ Create album” at the top-right.
• In the “Photos” page, click the “+” symbol at the top-right, then select “Album.”

Name the album “new photo book” or a similar title that describes your photo book project e.g. “anniversary album” or “NYC travel photo book”

Step 3: Add photos to the album

To fill your new album, head over to the “Photos” tab. Begin selecting your photos by either tapping on an entire date to select all photos within a date stamp, or tap and hold to select individual photos.

When you are done with your selection, tap the “+” sign at the top. Then choose to add to the new album that you created for your photo book project.

Use the “Search” function to find additional photos for your project. Add them to the new album by tapping the “+” sign at the top of the screen.

Repeat these steps until all the photos you want to upload to Mixbook are in the new album.

How to import Google Photos albums to Mixbook

You can import your new Google Photos album directly to your Mixbook account before or after launching a new photo book project. Here are the two methods.

Upload from Google Photos to your Mixbook account

Before starting on a new project, you can upload photos directly to your Mixbook account from Google Photos. Here’s how:

1. Log in to your Mixbook account
2. Click on the “My Photos” tab at the top
3. Click “Add photos”
4. Click the “Google Photos” icon on the pop-up window
5. Log in to your Google Photos account
6. Locate the new photo book album you created, and click “add to my photos”

With this method, your photos will be ready to use in any project. Start a new book and add them using the “Photos” panel on the left of the Mixbook Studio™.

Upload from Google Photos to a photo book project

Once you've chosen the perfect photo book theme for your project and clicked “Start Book,” your project will open in the Mixbook Studio™. You can upload your Google Photos album directly to the studio with the following steps:

1. Open the “Photos” panel on the left, if it’s not already open
2. Click the “Google photos” icon in the panel
3. Select the “Albums” tab at the top of the window
4. Locate the new photo book album you created, and click “add to my photos”

You can now include all the photos from the Google Photos album in your photo book.

Tip: If it’s the first time you have logged in to Google Photos from Mixbook, you will need to check the boxes in a pop-up window to allow access to your account.

Google Photos tips

Google Photos has powerful functions and handy settings options that can make it easier for you to manage your photos. This in turn makes it easier to upload those photos to Mixbook for your next photo book project. These are our top tips for using Google Photos alongside Mixbook.

Turn on backup and sync

The best way to get your photos into Google Photos account is via backup and sync.

Your phone can be set to automatically upload photos to Google Photos. This makes it so easy to auto-upload photos as you snap them.

How to turn on the backup:

• Open your Google Photos app and tap on your photo or initial in the upper right corner of the app.
• Tap “Photos settings” (the gear icon).
• The first option is “Backup & sync.” Toggle to activate the setting.

Name people and pets

Google Photos’ facial recognition can help you sort and search photos by scanning the faces of your friends, family, and even pets. Here’s how to use that feature:

• Open your Google Photos app and tap on your photo or initial in the upper right corner of the app.
• Tap “Photos settings” (the gear icon).
• Tap “Group similar faces,” then toggle on “Face Grouping” and “Show pets with people”
• Tap over to your Library and locate “People and Pets” at the top. Assign names by tapping their faces and adding a name.

Ready to create a custom photo book?

Whether it’s from Google Photos or any other source, getting your favorite photos into the Mixbook Studio™ is the first major step in creating a custom photo book.

What will your next project be? A baby book? Birthday gift? How about your own cookbook?

If you need a little more help getting started, check out our Ultimate Guide to Creating Photo Books.