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How to Make a Picture Black & White Using Google Photos

Sep 18, 2019 07:11 PM
Sep 19, 2019 09:19 PM
A hand holding a smartphone displaying a photo of a textured wall.

Editing photos on a phone, while not as good as editing on a desktop, is getting better and better with powerful tools to whip photos into shape. But sometimes you just want a simple edit, like making a color photo black and white. Instead of downloading a separate app to fine-tune the picture, you can just use Google Photos.

Applying a black and white filter can add a vintage feel to your photos or simply stylize them in a way that better matches the memory you captured. But Google Photos doesn't actually have a filter called "black and white," so removing color from your photos isn't exactly self-explanatory. Once you know where to look, however, it's a really easy process.

Select Your Photo

First, open the Google Photos app for iPhone or Android. Select a photo you would like to turn into a black and white picture. With your image open, tap on it to bring up the controls (a series of white icons along the top and bottom). Tap on the edit icon, which is the second from the bottom-left.

How to Make a Picture Black & White Using Google Photos
Street view of a road with trees, buildings, and a bus on the route.
City street view with parked cars and designated bike lane.
How to Make a Picture Black & White Using Google Photos
Street view of a road with trees, buildings, and a bus on the route.
City street view with parked cars and designated bike lane.

Make Your Image Black & White

Now, scroll to the left across the image filters, which are the "Original," "Auto," and so on thumbnails close to the bottom. Swipe your way through these until you find one called "Eiffel." Just tap on "Eiffel" to transform your image into black and white!

If you're happy with the image and want to override the original, press "Save" in the top-right. Alternatively, you can tap on the three dots in the top-right corner and choose "Save copy" to keep the original and save a new black and white copy. After saving, when you return to your gallery, you'll find your image in black and white.

Street view showing designated bike lane and parked cars.
How to Make a Picture Black & White Using Google Photos
How to Make a Picture Black & White Using Google Photos
Street view showing designated bike lane and parked cars.
How to Make a Picture Black & White Using Google Photos
How to Make a Picture Black & White Using Google Photos

Cover image and screenshots by Spencer Depas/Gadget Hacks

The next big software update for iPhone is coming sometime in April and will include a Food section in Apple News+, an easy-to-miss new Ambient Music app, Priority Notifications thanks to Apple Intelligence, and updates to apps like Mail, Photos, Podcasts, and Safari. See what else is coming to your iPhone with the iOS 18.4 update.

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