Apple Memories vs Google Photos highlights vs curator: which one gets you a post?
Updated September 17, 2026 · by Yannik Goldgräbe, maker of curator
They solve different problems. Apple Memories and Google Photos highlights make a video for you to relive a trip, inward-facing. curator makes the Instagram post, outward-facing: the picks, the 4:5 crops, the order and a caption, ready for the share sheet. Apple Memories relives it; curator posts it.
Side by side
| Apple Memories | Google Photos highlights | curator | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What comes out | A slideshow video with music | A highlight video or collage | An Instagram carousel: 4:5 slides in order, plus story picks |
| Made for | Reliving it on your phone or TV | Reliving and sharing a link | Posting it, in the feed's own format |
| Picks single frames? | Picks for the video, not for a post | Same | Yes, with a one-line reason per pick and the skipped shots visible |
| Crops to 4:5? | No | No | Yes, every slide |
| Caption | No | No | Draft caption you can edit |
| Learns your taste | No | Partly (favourites) | Yes, from every swap, keep and skip |
| Posts for you? | No | No | No, never. You tap post |
| Price | Included in iOS | Included in Google Photos | First albums on us; then from $3.99/month or credits per album |
When to use which
- You want to watch the trip again on the couch: Apple Memories or Google Photos. Nothing beats them at that, and they are already on your phone.
- You want to send the whole trip to family: Google Photos' shared album or highlight link.
- You want to post it and you have been putting it off: curator. It exists for exactly the moment when 600 photos and a blank caption box stop you.
Get curator on the App Store
iPhone, iOS 17+. Your first albums are on us.
Frequently asked
Can I post an Apple Memories video to Instagram?
You can share the exported video, but it is built as a slideshow with music for you to relive, not as a post. It is landscape or square, several photos per second, and says nothing about which single frames deserve a carousel.
Does curator replace Apple Photos or Google Photos?
No. Your library stays where it is. curator reads it, picks the post-worthy shots, and returns a carousel. It is a step on top of your photo library, not a new home for it.
Is curator the same as the "Curator - Photo Organizer" app?
No. That is a different app from a different maker that tidies your library. curator (curator.so, "the confident pick") turns the library into Instagram posts.