Long gone are the days when you had to transfer your photos to your computer just to make a simple collage. Now everything can be done on your phone with just a few taps. And best of all, you have many options, so you can choose which one suits you. You can use a third-party app, but you can also built-in apps that came with your iPhone. Stick with me and you’ll learn how to put two pictures side by side on your iPhone. Or as many as you want, it’s up to you.
Combine images using Shortcuts
The easiest and most practical way to put two or more images side by side is to use a designated shortcut. Using a shortcut obviously doesn’t require a third-party app and is the quickest way of combining images on your iPhone.
The obvious downside is that you’ll have to set up the shortcut first, which can be a little complicated, but once you do that, it’s extremely easy to use. Also, the shortcut is still limited in capabilities compared to actual apps. So, it’s only usable if you want to quickly stitch a few images together, without any complications. If you want more advanced grids and layouts, you’ll have to turn to a third-party app.
Shortcuts that combine photos are available for download all over the internet. However, I’m going to show you how to create one from scratch. We’ll go with the simplest possible option, which will only combine images horizontally and save them to the gallery. But if you know your way around Shortcuts, you can add many variables that will allow for additional options. You’ll probably feel like a programmer doing this, but it will be well worth the effort. Plus you won’t have to worry about potentially downloading something malicious from the internet.
Here’s how to create your own shortcut that puts pictures side by side on your iPhone:
- Open the Shortcuts app on your iPhone and tap the + icon to create the new shortcut.
- Name the shortcut (something like: “Combine Photos”) and choose its icon.
- Now, tap Add Action to start programming your new shortcut.
- Search for Select Photos, and add the command to the shortcut.
- Tap the Select Photos variable and enable Choose Multiple.
- Now, search for and add the Resize Image variable (this variable is not necessary, but it will allow you to control the size of your newly created image. Without it, the end product will probably be too big). Now, leave width to Auto Width, and set the height to your preferred size (for example 1440).
- Now, search for and add the Combine Images variable. Make sure Resized Image is selected. Now, you can choose the direction in which you want to merge photos. Since we’ll merge them horizontally, choose the Horizontally option. You can also tap the variable and set the spacing between two images.
- And finally, search for and add the Save to Photo Album variable. Choose where you want to save your photos.
- The shortcut is now complete. You can now tap the settings button in the upper-right corner and add it to Home Screen.
If you’re having a hard time following the instructions, here’s how it should look:
That’s about it. Now, just open the shortcut from your Home Screen, select the photos you want to combine, and the new image will automatically be saved in your Library. Now as I said, this is the simplest way possible, with many limitations. For example, if you’re trying to combine photos of different sizes, you could run into an error. So, if you want more control and options, you’ll have to turn to a third-party app.
Combine images with a third-party app
If you want more control over your composition, using third-party apps is a must. As advanced as Shortcuts are, it’s not advanced enough to cover every aspect of combining two or more images. Numerous third-party apps can merge photos, but for the sake of simplicity, I’m going to stick to two of the most common choices. And these two options are Photoshop Express and Instagram Grids.
Use Photoshop Express
Photoshop Express is my favorite third-party tool for combining multiple images on iPhone. It’s simple but has many different options at the same time. Plus it allows for different editing options. Here’s how to combine multiple photos in Photoshop Express:
- Download Photoshop Express from the App Store.
- Open the app and choose Collage.
- Select the images you want to combine and tap Next.
- Choose the preferred layout (if you want to align them horizontally, choose the G6 layout.
- Tap the Share button in the upper-right corner.
- Choose Save.
Photoshop Express allows for various editing options, like adjusting the aspect ratio of photos, changing colors, adding text, etc. However, the best options come with the premium version, but even the free version will get the job done exceptionally well. So, unless you’re using other Adobe products, there’s no need to purchase the Adobe Cloud subscription just for this.
Use Layout from Instagram
Another widely used tool for creating collages is Layout from Instagram. Originally intended as a collage-maker for Instagram posts, you can also use this app to combine any number of images you want. Here’s how to use Layout from Instagram:
- Download Layout from Instagram from the App Store.
- Open the app and choose the photos you want to combine.
- Choose your preferred layout from the top of the screen.
- If you want, you can apply some basic editing, like flipping images, adding borders, etc.
- Just tap Save and the newly-created collage will be stored in your Gallery.
Layout from Instagram is extremely easy to use, but it boasts fewer features than Photoshop Express. So, I recommend using it mostly when you just want to quickly make a collage.
That’s about it. You now have an abundance of options for putting two pictures side by side on your iPhone. So, you can choose the option that suits your needs the best. If you have any comments, questions or suggestions, feel free to let us know in the comments down below.
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