Merging or Consolidating Images on iPhone: Three Techniques Revealed

Merging or Consolidating Images on iPhone: Three Techniques Revealed

In recent iPhones, the Shortcuts app comes pre-installed, offering a convenient way to create photo collages. This article will guide you through the process of combining photos using the Shortcuts app in iOS 16.

Meet the Expert

Luigi Oppido, the Owner and Operator of Pleasure Point Computers in Santa Cruz, California, has over 25 years of experience in general computer repair, data recovery, virus removal, and upgrades. Megaera Lorenz, PhD, a staff writer for the website, also reviewed this article.

Creating a Photo Collage

To combine photos into a collage using the Shortcuts app, you can create or use a shortcut like "Photo Grid" that automates the collage creation from your photo library. Here's a simplified step-by-step guide:

1. Open the Shortcuts app on your iPhone. If you don't have it installed, download it from the App Store.
2. Go to the Gallery tab at the bottom and search for or create a shortcut called "Photo Grid" or one that uses the "Combine Images" action.
3. Add the shortcut to your library.
4. Run the shortcut by selecting it; it will prompt you to choose photos from your device.
5. The shortcut will combine the selected photos into a grid/collage automatically.
6. Save the resulting collage to your Photos app.

A More Detailed Approach

For a more hands-on experience, you can create a shortcut from scratch:

1. Open Shortcuts.
2. Tap to create a new shortcut.
3. Tap Add Action and search for Find Photos, set filters if you want.
4. Tap Add Action again, search for Combine Images, configure layout (horizontal/vertical/grid).
5. Add action to Save to Photo Album to store the collage.
6. Run the shortcut and select photos to combine.

Alternatively, you can download a pre-made "Photo Grid" shortcut from the Gallery, then use the iPhone Photos app's Share menu to select photos and run the shortcut directly to create your collage.

Merging Duplicate Images

In iOS 16, duplicate images can be merged in the Photos app by opening Albums, selecting Duplicates, and tapping Merge. You can find and merge duplicate images under the Duplicates album.

Advanced Collage Techniques

For more elaborate photo collages or advanced image-merging techniques, third-party apps such as PicCollage, Pic Stitch, Canva, Photoshop Express, Photo Blender & Layers Overlay, and Photoleap can be used.

References

1. TikTok: Create shortcut > Add action > Combine images and use clipboard/photos.
2. Movavi guide: Download Photo Grid shortcut, select photos, run shortcut, save collage.
3. In iOS 16, duplicate images can be merged in the Photos app by opening Albums, selecting Duplicates, and tapping Merge.
4. The built-in Shortcuts app can be used to combine multiple photos on an iPhone into a collage.
5. The "Save to Photo Album" action saves the combined images to the Recents album in your photo library.
6. PicCollage, Pic Stitch, Canva, Photoshop Express, Photo Blender & Layers Overlay, and Photoleap are third-party apps that can be used for more elaborate photo collages or advanced image-merging techniques.
7. To create a new shortcut in the Shortcuts app, tap the icon in the top right corner.
8. In iOS 16, duplicate images can be merged in the Photos app by opening Albums, selecting Duplicates, and tapping Merge.
9. Megaera Lorenz, PhD, is a staff writer for the website.
10. To create a collage using Shortcuts, follow the sequence Select Photos > Combine Images > Save to Photo Album.
11. Luigi Oppido is the host of the Computer Man Show! broadcasted on KSQD covering central California for over two years.
12. The "Select Photos" action allows you to choose multiple photos for a shortcut.
13. To search for actions in the Shortcuts app, tap the Search for apps and actions field at the bottom of the screen.
14. If you're interested in creating a more complex collage beyond the basic Shortcuts app, consider using third-party gadgets like PicCollage, Pic Stitch, Canva, Photoshop Express, Photo Blender & Layers Overlay, or Photoleap on your smartphone to leverage more advanced technology features.
15. To combine your photos into a smartphone collage using technology and the Shortcuts app in iOS 16, follow these steps: Create or use a shortcut like "Photo Grid," select the photos you want, use the "Combine Images" action, and save the resulting grid to your Photos app.

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