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Google Photos stacks: what they do, and why they don't free space

Updated November 8, 2026 · 4 min read

Google Photos stacks group nearly identical photos of the same subject, taken close together, under one thumbnail in your Photos view. They tidy what you see. They don't change how much storage you use, because every photo in the stack is still in your library. To free the space, you have to delete the extra shots yourself, one stack at a time, or use a tool that clears them across the whole library.

What a stack is

Google's help page says Google Photos can group similar photos into a stack. These are nearly identical shots of the same subject, taken close together. Each stack shows one photo in your Photos view.

Google announced the feature in November 2023 as Photo Stacks, rolling out on Android and iPhone. The announcement says you can pick your own top photo, change the stacks or turn Photo Stacks off.

Three limits are worth knowing:

  • Backed-up photos only. Google says photo stacks are only available for backed-up photos.
  • App only. Google's help page says photo stacks are only available in the Google Photos app. On photos.google.com you see every photo separately.
  • No change to storage. Google says stacking doesn't change your available storage.

The top pick

Google Photos chooses the cover photo of each stack automatically and calls it the "Top pick". Google says top picks are different from favourites.

To change the top pick:

  1. Open the stack.
  2. Scroll the filmstrip to the photo you want.
  3. Tap the Thumbnail menu.
  4. Select Set as top pick.

Why stacks don't free space

A stack is a way of showing photos, not a way of storing them. Every photo in it still counts towards your Google storage until you delete it. If your reason for looking at stacks is a full account, the stack on its own does nothing for you.

Stacks also only cover photos taken close together. Google describes them as photos taken together within a short time frame. Two lookalike photos taken on different days, or an exact copy uploaded a second time months later, are not what a stack is for. The same goes for copies that arrived by another route. See why Google Photos has duplicates for the usual causes.

How to free the space a stack holds

One stack at a time

Google's help page gives a built-in way to keep one photo and remove the rest of a stack:

  1. Open the Google Photos app and open a stack.
  2. Scroll the filmstrip to the photo you want to keep.
  3. Tap the Thumbnail menu.
  4. Select Keep this, delete rest.
  5. Tap Move to trash.

This works well for a handful of stacks. It's slow for thousands, and it only looks at photos Google has already stacked.

For the whole library

Doppelgone's Chrome extension works on photos.google.com. It scans the whole library in the browser, on your own computer, and finds exact duplicates, similar shots and burst photos. This includes lookalikes that were taken at different times, which stacks leave alone.

In each set it keeps the best shot (eyes open, sharp, well lit) and says why. You approve every clean-up. Removed photos wait in the Google Photos trash for 30 days, with one-click Undo. Sets it is less sure about are marked "Your call". Your photos never leave your device.

Favourites, videos, motion photos and photos shared with you are never touched. The free version scans everything and shows the space each set takes, and lets you clean up 200 photos in total. Pro is one payment of $9.99, with no subscription: see pricing and the download page.

For the step-by-step version, read how to delete duplicate photos in Google Photos. For bursts and lookalikes specifically, see how to find similar and burst photos in Google Photos.

How to turn stacks off

Google's help page gives the same steps on Android and iPhone:

  1. Open the Google Photos app.
  2. Tap More.
  3. Turn off Stack similar photos.

Turning stacks off only changes how photos are grouped in the app. It doesn't delete anything and it doesn't free space either.

Frequently asked questions

Do Google Photos stacks save storage?

No. Google says stacking doesn't change your available storage. Every photo in a stack is still in your library until you delete it.

How do I turn off stacks in Google Photos?

Open the Google Photos app, tap More and turn off Stack similar photos. Google gives the same steps on Android and iPhone.

How do I change the top pick of a stack?

Open the stack, scroll the filmstrip to the photo you want, tap the Thumbnail menu and select Set as top pick. Google notes that a top pick is different from a favourite.

How do I delete the rest of a stack?

Open the stack, scroll to the photo you want to keep, tap the Thumbnail menu, select Keep this, delete rest and then tap Move to trash.

Why don't I see stacks on photos.google.com?

Google says photo stacks are only available in the Google Photos app. They also only apply to backed-up photos.

Will Doppelgone clean photos inside stacks?

Doppelgone's Chrome extension scans your whole Google Photos library at photos.google.com, where every photo is listed separately, and works on exact duplicates, similar shots and burst photos. It asks you to approve each clean-up and never touches favourites, videos or photos shared with you.

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