How to Put 2 Pictures Side by Side: 6 Effective Methods

Putting two pictures together is one of the most basic and common photo editing techniques. Yet, this process isn’t always as straightforward as it seems, as many people still struggle with the steps. Let us guide you through 6 simple methods that even beginners can follow in a heartbeat.

6 Different Ways to Put Two Photos Side by Side

Method 1. Use Collage Makers

Let us clarify: Collage Makers is not a specific app name. Rather, it refers to various mobile applications particularly designed for creating collages. Here’s a general guide on how to make side-by-side pictures using such programs:

1. Open The App: First, tap the “Collage” or “Grid” button on the app’s main screen.
2. Select Photos: Choose two pictures to include in the collage. Once done, press “Next” or “Import” (a button will appear somewhere on the screen once the photos are selected).
3. Choose Your Desired Template: Select a collage template, theme, aspect ratio, and border thickness (you can also opt to have no borders at all). If you still want to use borders, consider setting a background for the spaces between two photos, such as solid colors, textured patterns, or even a third image.
4. Edit Your Collage: Now, in editing mode, you can adjust each collage section separately. Zoom, drag, or apply text or filters to each photo; let’s get creative!
5. Finalize: Once you are ready with this collage, confirm the above changes to combine the pictures into a single image. You can now edit that final image as needed.

Method 2. Use Google Photos

Another common and effective method! The guide is also fairly simple:

1. Open Google Photos: Launch the Google Photos application to see your gallery.
2. Select Photos: Long-press the first picture you want to include. Then, choose the second picture: simply tap on it once circles pop up on the photo previews.
3. Create Collage: Finally, tap the + sign on the screen (top corner on the right) and choose “Collage.”
4. After this step, the app automatically merges these two images into a collage — that’s it! However, it doesn’t allow further adjustments to the border thickness or photo template.

Method 3. Use The Samsung Editing Tool

Do you use Samsung Galaxy? In that case, there’s already an internal editor that you can use to create your photo collage. Follow these steps:

1. Open Your Gallery: Select the photos you want to include in your collage.
2. Create Collage: Tap the 3-dot icon and choose Create > Collage.
3. Customize Layout: Use Samsung’s editor to customize the collage layout.

That’s how you can put two pictures side by side with Samsung’s photo editing tool! 

Method 4. Use Instagram Layouts

Surprisingly, few people know Instagram is also a great option! In its Stories creation mode, you can place two photos side by side, with both images having a standard/default aspect ratio. Then, like with Stories videos, just save this collage to your mobile phone.

1. Open Instagram: Tap the + sign on the screen (top corner on the right)
2. Select Stories: Choose “Stories” and create a new story by tapping the camera icon.
3. Choose Layout: Press the layout icon, then take photos. Feel free to take multiple images at once or select some from your gallery. Note that the total number of images you should have also depends on your fixed layout (which defaults to four).

Method 5. Use Your iPhone (no 3rd-party apps)

Don’t want to spend time installing an external app? Great news if you are an iPhone user: Apple’s Shortcuts app can be a huge lifesaver! Let us tell you how:

1. Open The Shortcuts App: Tap the + sign on the screen (the upper corner on the right) to make a shortcut.
2. Select Photos: In the search bar near the bottom, type “Select Photos” to start the search. When an arrow appears, tap on it to enable “Select Multiple.”
3. Decide Your Image Combination: Return to your search bar and type “Combine Images.” Choose how you want your images combined (horizontally, vertically, etc.). You can adjust the gap between pictures if desired.
4. Save to Album: Search for “Save to Photo Album” and select it. No other extra settings are needed for this step.
5. Customize and Add Your Shortcut to The Home Screen: Feel free to rename the shortcut and even tweak the icon if needed. When ready, tap “Add to Home Screen” > “Done.”
6. Make Your Collage: The shortcut is now on your home screen. To combine photos, open the shortcut, select two images you need to combine and tap “Add.”

Your combined photos will automatically be saved to your built-in Photos app. Easy, right? 

Method 6. Use Online Tools Like TinyWow

At this point, you must be wondering: what if I don’t have an iPhone or fail to download the mentioned apps? 

No worries! There’s still a convenient option available: free online tools. Here, we choose the TinyWow tool as an example, but you can use any similar website of preference. 

1. Visit TinyWow: Go to the TinyWow webpage.
2. Add Photos: Click “Add photos” and select two images to combine. (Want to select both photos at once? Easy: Choose the first one, hold “Ctrl,” and click on the second pic).
3. Upload Photos: Click “Open” to upload those photos.
4. Download Your Combined Image: Wait 3-4 seconds until the upload completes, then press “Download Image.” Finish “ReCAPTCHA” to start the download.

There’s a small reminder, however. TinyWow (and other similar tools) only store your finalized files for about one hour. That means you’ll need to repeat all the above steps if you forget to download the images within this period! 

FAQs

How Can I Make A Photo Collage?

Collage Maker apps and online tools are your best bet! Combining two photos is just one of their many options; you can even combine three, four, or more pictures if desired. Simply browse the internet or app stores until you find what suits your needs.

Can I Shorten A Live Photo?

Yes. A live Photo is still a photo, meaning you can edit it like any other. Feel free to trim it, mute the sound, change the thumbnail, or convert it from a Live Photo to a still image!

Can You Put Two Pictures Together without Third-party Apps?

Yes. We’ve shown you how to combine photos using Google Photos (for Android) and the built-in features on Samsung and iPhone. However, remember these options might not offer the same level of customization third-party apps often provide, so choose accordingly!

See more: how to convert RAW To JPEG?

Conclusion

We’ve broken down each method for you! Instead of just reading our guidelines, you should open your chosen device and follow our instructions right away; actual practice makes it easier to remember. If you are still facing any difficulties, feel free to contact us.