My kids flip through our yearly photo book constantly. Not the photos on my phone. The actual book sitting on the shelf.
That’s the whole reason to organize and back up your photos. Not to have a tidy camera roll. To have something physical that your family can hold, flip through, and keep forever.
Chatbooks is the app I use to make our yearly book and it’s become one of my favorite family traditions. Here’s exactly how I do it.
What you need before you start
Before you open Chatbooks, you want your favorite photos from the year already identified. If you’ve been tapping the heart icon on meaningful photos as you go, they’re already waiting for you in your Favorites folder. If not, scroll through your camera roll and heart the ones that matter before you start. It makes the whole process faster.
Download the Chatbooks app and create an account. Look for a promo code before you check out. They run deals regularly.
How to build your yearly book
1. Open the app and tap Yearbook
Scroll to find the Yearbook option and select the year you’re making a book for.
2. Choose hardcover, 8×8
This is the size I use every year. It’s a good weight, sits nicely on a shelf, and feels substantial without being overwhelming.
3. Tap “Pick photos manually”
Don’t let the app auto-select your photos. The automatic selection pulls from everything and you’ll end up with blurry shots and duplicates. Choose manually so you control exactly what goes in.
4. Select from your Favorites album
This is why the favoriting step matters. Instead of scrolling through your entire camera roll, you’re choosing from the photos you already decided were worth keeping.
5. Choose one photo per page
This is my preference. It gives each photo room to breathe and tells the story of your year without feeling cluttered. Four photos per page is also an option if you want something faster to put together.
6. Customize your cover
Chatbooks lets you choose a cover photo and add a title. Keep it simple. The year and your family name is enough.
7. Check out
Books usually arrive within a week. Chatbooks will also make you a mini movie of your book to share with family after you order. Worth it.
A few things worth knowing
Drafts save automatically in Chatbooks, so you don’t have to finish in one sitting. You can build your book over a few days and come back to it whenever you have a few minutes.
By default, photos are arranged oldest to newest, which naturally tells the story of your year. To reorder pages, press and hold a page thumbnail and drag it where you want it.
You can also add collages, captions, and dates to individual pages if you want to go deeper. But honestly, photos alone are enough. The point is to finish it and order it, not to make it perfect.
When to make it a habit
Once a year every January is the simplest rhythm. You’re looking back at the year that just ended while it’s still fresh. Some people do it after each school year ends instead. Either works. What matters is picking a time and sticking to it.
If you want help getting your photos organized and favorited before you sit down to build your book, the free 5-Minute Phone Audit is a good place to start. And if you want a full system, backup, cleanup, organizing, and printing all walked through on screen, that’s what Beyond the Camera Roll covers.