Using features built into Apple’s Photos app, you can create and share a slideshow of photos. Just select specific shots from your iPhone or iPad using different criteria, add special themes with fonts and background music, then share it with others.
The Photos app offers two different types of slideshows. With a regular slideshow, you can change the theme, music, and duration to a certain number of selections. A Memory Movie lets you change the overall theme to modify the font, music, and length. Here’s how you can create, customize, and share a photo slideshow from your iPhone or iPad.
View Photos
Open the Photos app on your iOS or iPadOS device, and tap the Library icon. (On the iPad, tap the Sidebar button on the left to see all the commands and locations for the app). The app offers the ability to view photos by year, month, day, or all at once from the menu heading.
Select All Photos to display all your photos as small thumbnails. Choosing Days shows you different size thumbnails by each day. Select Months to see one or more photos for each month, or tap a specific month to see all its photos.
If you tap Years, the thumbnails are displayed by year and can be drilled down by year, month, and then day. You can create a Memory Movie from the Days view or the Months View.
Create a Slideshow by Day or Month
If you want to create a slideshow based on a specific day, select the heading for Days. Swipe through your photos and find a specific date. Tap the ellipsis icon in the upper right of the screen. Tap Play Memory Movie in the pop-up window that appears. A slideshow is then generated and played with theme music for a certain duration.
Create a slideshow based on a specific month by tapping the Months heading, then selecting the appropriate month. Tap the ellipsis icon for that month and select Play Memory Movie from the pop-up menu to watch the automatically generated slideshow.
If you try to make a slideshow but don’t see the Play Memory Movie command, then the date/month doesn’t contain enough photos to generate a slideshow. In this case, you will have to find another date with more photos.
Create a Slideshow From Memories
The Photos app puts together memories based on related photos from a specific date, event, or occasion. And it will generate a slideshow based on one of these memories. Tap the For You icon, then select the thumbnail of a memory you like. Tap the Play button in the lower-right corner of the image to watch the slideshow.
You can also generate slideshows from other categories. On an iPhone, select Albums or People & Places. If you’re on an iPad, make sure the sidebar is visible, then tap People or Places. Select the right album, location, or person, then tap the Play button.
You can also create slideshows from videos, selfies, and panoramas. Choose one of those categories, tap the ellipsis icon in the upper right, then select the command for Slideshow to make it play.
Choose Your Own Photos
If you want to choose your own photos for a slideshow, the easiest way is to first put them into an album. Tap the Albums or All Albums icon, tap the + symbol at the top, and then choose New Album.
Type a name for your album and tap Save, then browse through your photos and tap each image that you want to add to this album. Tap Done when finished.
Your new album appears in the My Albums section in the Photos app. Now all you have to do is create the slideshow.
Select the album to open it, tap the ellipsis icon, and then tap the Slideshow command. The app runs your slideshow.
Edit a Slideshow
Are you looking to edit your slideshow? With the slideshow paused, tap the Options command in the lower right. Here, you can change the theme and/or the music.
Tap Theme to change the slideshow’s theme, or Music to change the background music. Your choices include Origami, Dissolve, Magazine, Push, or Ken Burns (or None under music)
You can change the duration of the slideshow by moving the slider on the bar to the left to make it longer and slower and to the right to make it shorter and quicker. You can also tell the app to repeat the slideshow after it finishes. Play the slideshow again to see if you like your changes.
Edit a Memory Movie
You can also edit a Memory Movie by opening your album, tapping the ellipsis icon, and choosing Play Memory Movie. Pause the Memory Movie to see a range of themes you can apply, such as Dreamy, Sentimental, Gentle, and Happy. Each theme carries its own font and music. You can also change the duration between short and medium. Make your changes and then play the movie again.
You can edit the movie even further. Tap the Edit command in the upper right. The app tells you that to edit the slideshow, you have to add it to Memories. Tap OK. A screen pops up that lets you change the title, title image, music, duration, and the photos included in the slideshow. Tap any item to change it.
You can choose music from albums stored on your device and set the duration. The longer you make the show, the more photos it can display. You can also add photos to and remove them from the slideshow. When done, tap the Play button to play your revised slideshow. If you like your changes, tap Done.
Share a Slideshow
To share your masterpiece, tap the Share icon in the corner. Use the Share screen to choose a destination, such as Messages, Mail, Facebook, OneDrive, YouTube, and more. The app then exports your movie to the service you chose.
With a service such as Facebook, the app previews your slideshow and lets you add text, tag people, or add a location. When you’re finished, tap Post to share the slideshow.
