Google Photos Library is dead – say hello to Collections

You can say goodbye to the Library tab in Google Photos, as Google is introducing a new destination called Collections that is designed to “make finding content easier than ever.” Collections will house all of your albums in one place, such as your private albums and those shared with you by other users, as well as new folders for People and Pets, Documents, and Places.

The Collections view – which replaces the existing Library tab but keeps the same bookshelf-style icon – is currently rolling out to all Android and iOS Google Photos users, but it may take a few weeks before it’s available on all devices.

Users can go to the Collections tab and tap Albums to switch between different views such as All, Shared with Me, and My Albums. Folders for Favorites and Trash will appear at the top, while Google says the remaining two tiles can “rotate depending on the items you navigate to most often.” Users’ locked folders will no longer be suggested at the top of the collections view after complaints about the placement.

The Utilities folder is completely removed, but the tools beneath it are simply moved. For example, the option to create a locked folder can now be found by scrolling to the bottom of Collections. Options to import images and create albums, collages, and highlight videos can be found by tapping the “+” icon. To free up space on the device and manage photo frames, you now need to tap your Google Photos account profile.