Have you ever needed to combine two photos on your iPhone? Whether you’re creating a compelling before-and-after comparison, crafting a fun meme, or simply want to showcase two related images together, knowing how to place photos side by side directly on your iPhone is a handy skill. While numerous third-party apps offer this functionality, your iPhone already has a powerful built-in tool: the Shortcuts app. This guide will show you how to easily create a custom shortcut to put two photos side by side on your iPhone, streamlining the process and saving you time.
Creating a Shortcut for Side-by-Side Photos
The Apple Shortcuts app is a fantastic tool for automating tasks on your iPhone, and it’s perfect for quickly combining photos. If you don’t already have it, you can download the Shortcuts app from the App Store for free. Once installed, follow these steps to create your side-by-side photo shortcut:
- Open the Shortcuts App: Find the Shortcuts app icon on your home screen and tap to open it.
- Create a New Shortcut: Tap the “+” icon usually located in the top right corner to start a new shortcut.
- Name Your Shortcut: Tap on “New Shortcut” at the top and rename it to something memorable like “Combine Photos Side by Side” or simply “Side by Side Photos”. Tap “Done”.
- Add the “Select Photos” Action: In the search bar at the bottom, type “Select Photos” and tap on the “Select Photos” action under the “Media” category to add it to your shortcut.
- Add the “Combine Images Horizontally” Action: In the search bar again, type “Combine Images” and choose the “Combine Images Horizontally” action under the “Images” category. This action will arrange your selected photos next to each other.
- Connect the Actions: Ensure that the output of “Select Photos” is automatically fed into the “Combine Images” action. This is usually done by default.
- Add the “Save Image” Action: Finally, to save your combined photo, search for “Save Image” and tap the “Save Image” action under the “Photos” category. This will save the side-by-side image to your iPhone’s Photos app.
- Run a Test (Optional but Recommended): Tap the play button (triangle icon) at the bottom right to test your shortcut. It will prompt you to select two photos. After selection, it should create and save the combined image.
- Tap “Done”: Once you are satisfied, tap “Done” to save your newly created shortcut.
How to Use Your Side-by-Side Photo Shortcut
Now that your shortcut is set up, using it is incredibly simple and fast whenever you need to merge two images:
- Open the Shortcuts App: Go to the Shortcuts app.
- Run Your Shortcut: Find your “Side by Side Photos” shortcut (or whatever you named it) and tap on it.
- Select Your Photos: Your iPhone’s photo library will appear. Select the two photos you want to combine side by side. Tap “Add” after selecting.
- Image Saved: The shortcut will automatically run, combine your chosen photos horizontally, and save the new side-by-side image directly to your Photos app. You’ll usually see a quick notification confirming the save.
- Find Your Combined Photo: Open your Photos app and find the newly created combined image. It will be saved with your latest photos.
With this shortcut, you can quickly create side-by-side photos for various purposes. Show off a home renovation project with before-and-after shots, create engaging social media content, or make fun photo comparisons with ease, all without leaving your iPhone or downloading extra apps. Explore the Shortcuts app further to discover more ways to automate tasks and enhance your iPhone experience.
