A few ways you can create the perfect 2025 photo recap with Google Photos

It’s that time of year again! While most of us are busy looking forward and making resolutions for 2026, it’s also the best time to look back at everything that happened over the last 12 months.

If you use Google Photos, you probably have a massive collection of memories waiting to be organized. This year, Google is giving us five distinct ways to recap 2025, ranging from AI-powered highlight reels to old-school physical photo books.

1. The 2025 Google Photos Recap

The easiest way to start is with the Google Photos Recap. You can find it pinned in your Collections Tab or right at the front of your Memories carousel this month.

Google has added a few much-requested personalization features this year:

• Hide Specific People: You can now filter out specific people or dates you’d rather not see in your recap before you share it.
• CapCut Integration: If you want more creative control, there is a new “Edit with CapCut” button that exports your recap into CapCut with exclusive Google Photos templates.

2. ‘Ask Photos’ your specific questions

If you are looking for a specific “vibe” for your recap, try using Ask Photos. Instead of scrolling through thousands of pictures, you can use natural language to find exactly what you need. Try asking:

• “Show me my landscape photos from 2025”
• “What desserts did I eat this year?”
• “When did I visit Croatia?”

3. The Physical “Photo Dump”

If you want something tangible for your coffee table, you can now turn any album into a Photo Book in seconds. Just hit the three-dot menu in the top-right of any album and select “Photo book”. You can customize the layout on your phone or jump over to a desktop if you want a larger screen to perfect your design.

4. The Mega-Collage

Want to share a yearly recap but can’t narrow it down to just a few photos? Use the collage feature in the Create tab. You can select a template that holds up to six photos in a single image and add fun borders or visual designs to make it stand out on social media.

5. Cinematic Highlight Videos

Finally, Google recently launched a suite of new video editing tools. You can now pick a ready-made template that comes with built-in music, text, and cuts synced perfectly to a soundtrack. Android users even get the ability to add custom text overlays with new fonts and colors to tell the story behind the clips. It’s a great way to take all those random 5-second clips from your year and turn them into something that actually feels cinematic.