Facebook allows users to organize and manage their photos by creating albums. While new photos can easily be added directly to an album when posting, sometimes users want to move photos that have already been posted to their timeline into an album. Luckily, Facebook does provide a way to move already posted pictures into an album. Here’s what you need to know about moving already posted photos on Facebook.
Can You Move Already Posted Pictures to an Album on Facebook?
Yes, it is possible to move already posted pictures to an album on Facebook. However, there is no direct way to do this right from your timeline. To move already posted photos into an album, you need to go through the album creation process.
Step-by-Step Process
Here is the step-by-step process to move already posted photos on your timeline into a Facebook album:
- Go to your Facebook profile and click on the “Photos” link in the left sidebar.
- In the top right, click on the “Albums” tab.
- Click on the “+” button to create a new album.
- Give the album a name and description (optional).
- In the “Add Photos” section, click on “Already on Facebook.”
- You will then see a grid of your previously posted photos. Select the photos you want to add to the album.
- Once you’ve selected the photos, click “Next” and then “Create Album.”
The photos that you selected will now be added to the new album as if they were just posted there originally. The photos will also remain visible on your timeline unless you choose to delete them.
Tips for Moving Already Posted Photos to an Album
Here are some tips to make moving already posted pictures into a Facebook album easier:
- Create albums ahead of time – If you know you will want to move certain photos later, create an album for them when you initially post the photos.
- Use search to find photos – Use the Facebook search bar to search for keywords or names to easily find specific photos to move.
- Select all photos first – Click the top left checkbox to select all photos first, then individually unselect ones you don’t need.
- Use list view – Switch the view from grid to list to easily scroll through photos without loading delays.
- Move in batches – If moving a lot of photos, do it in smaller batches instead of all at once.
Pros of Moving Photos Into Albums
Here are some of the benefits of organizing photos into albums on Facebook:
- Albums keep related photos organized in one place.
- You can control privacy settings for each album.
- Albums make photos easier to find and view.
- Adding photos to albums creates a backup of the photos.
- Albums allow you to customize the order of the photos.
- You can easily share full albums with friends or family.
- Albums help preserve memories around specific events or time periods.
Cons of Moving Photos to Albums
There are also a few downsides of moving photos into Facebook albums:
- Photos may appear out of order on your timeline.
- Friends may get notified again about old photos being added.
- Comments on the original post don’t move with the photo.
- Creating and managing albums takes extra time and effort.
- Albums may make some photos less visible to those not in the album.
- Too many albums can become disorganized over time.
Troubleshooting Issues with Moving Photos to Albums
If you run into issues trying to move already posted pictures into a Facebook album, here are some troubleshooting tips:
Can’t Find Option to Add Existing Photos
The option to add existing photos from your timeline only appears in the desktop Facebook interface. Make sure you are not trying to move photos through the mobile app.
Photos Not Appearing in Album
Double check that you clicked “Create Album” after selecting photos. If photos still won’t appear, try refreshing the page or reloading the album.
Album Appears Empty
This is typically caused by a glitch. Try leaving and re-opening the album. If it’s still empty, you may need to recreate the album and move the photos again.
Can’t Find Certain Photos
If some photos aren’t showing up for you to select, it may be because they are set to only show to certain friend lists or have other privacy restrictions enabled.
Notification Sent About Old Photos
Unfortunately there is no way to prevent the notification from being sent when adding old photos to an album. You can edit the notification after sending to clarify the photos are old.
FAQs About Moving Photos to Albums on Facebook
Can you put old photos in a new album?
Yes, you can put old, already posted photos into a brand new album on Facebook through the steps outlined above. There is no time limit on when photos can be added to an album.
Do albums show in timeline view?
When you create a new Facebook album, it will appear as a new timeline post letting your friends know the album was created. However, photos within the album will appear in the order they were actually posted, not in album order.
Can you add old photos to existing albums?
It is absolutely possible to add previously posted photos to albums that already exist. Just select the existing album instead of creating a new one when going through the process.
Do photos stay on your timeline when added to an album?
Yes, adding photos that were already posted to your Facebook timeline to an album does not remove or delete them from your timeline. The photos will exist in both places.
Can I add the same photo to multiple albums?
You can definitely add one photo to multiple albums if you want. There is no limit on how many albums a single photo can be added to.
Conclusion
While Facebook doesn’t let you directly move already posted photos into an album, it is possible to add existing timeline photos to an album through the album creation process. This allows you to organize photos into albums no matter when they were originally posted.
Adding old photos to new or existing albums has many benefits like organization and backups, but can also have drawbacks like out of order timelines. Overall, it’s a useful feature to help curate your Facebook photos into collections.
With a few clicks, you can move photos from the clutter of your timeline into organized albums to preserve and share memories for years to come. Just be sure to troubleshoot any issues that arise during the process. With so many photos shared on Facebook, taking advantage of albums is a great way to wrangle your images into a coherent story.