The new app experience uses patent-pending technology to quickly create photo books based on memory and emotion

REDWOOD CITY, Calif., June 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Today, Mixbook, the #1 rated photo book brand, introduced Story Mode, a new prompt-based photo book creation experience built on patent-pending AI technology for memory understanding and photo book generation. Users describe what they want to capture in a few words, upload their photos, and receive thoughtfully designed, print-ready photo book options to order or customize — speeding up creation by 3.5X and cutting time to order in half.

“We naturally reflect on our memories through words, but when asked to turn those memories into a photo book, people freeze. When faced with too many photos, limited confidence in design, and not enough time, starting a photo book is harder than ever,” said Andrew Laffoon, CEO and Co-Founder of Mixbook. “Story Mode addresses this with a simple idea: if you can describe a memory, you can preserve it. That’s the problem we set out to solve, and the results tell us we got it right.”

A Prompt-Based Design Experience

Story Mode starts with a simple conversation. Users describe the occasion they want to capture — a family vacation, a recap of the year, or birthday gift — then personalize the direction through prompts around style and storytelling preferences. Whether they want a clean photo-forward look or a more expressive design with full narrative storytelling, Story Mode adapts to the way they want their memories told.

After uploading photos and choosing a design style, users receive personalized photo book options based on what they described. Every element remains fully editable, giving users complete creative control while Story Mode handles the heavy lifting.

A Book That Captures How It Felt, Not Just What Happened

Most photo book tools fill pages. Story Mode builds meaning.

Rather than simply placing photos onto pages, Story Mode understands the narrative behind photo collections and creates a photo book that feels personal, intentional, and complete. Milestone moments are elevated with full-page spreads, while supporting photos are thoughtfully grouped to maintain flow and pacing. Generated captions add narrative context and emotional meaning, not just labels.

“Storytelling is giving meaning to moments. When you experience life, it’s like different pieces of a puzzle coming at you, and the most important thing we as human beings can do is put that together into a story,” said Dr. Christie Chung, Cognitive Psychologist and Memory Science Advisor at Mixbook. “Mixbook helps people do exactly that: organize their memories, find them faster, and become experts in their own storytelling.”

Built on 20 Years of Storytelling

Story Mode builds on 20 years of creative storytelling innovation across the Mixbook platform, from the creative freedom of Mixbook Studio to memory organization in the Mixbook App.

To help organize and understand large photo collections, Story Mode taps into Apple’s on-device AI frameworks for photo analysis, curation, and image scoring. Mixbook then combines those insights with LLM analysis and its own storytelling and layout technology to generate photo books with narrative flow, meaningful captions, and intentional design.

For the person who always meant to make that photo book but never found the time. For the one who didn’t think they were creative enough to start. Story Mode meets people where they are and brings them closer to the moments and people that matter most.

Story Mode is available now, free for all iOS users. Download the Mixbook app from the App Store. Web availability coming soon.

About Mixbook

Mixbook, the #1-rated photo book platform, is on a mission to help everyone tell their story — starting with the photos sitting forgotten on their phone. From photo books to cards and calendars, Mixbook makes it fun to create and share what matters most. Co-founded in 2006 by Andrew Laffoon and Aryk Grosz, Mixbook has spent twenty years building a platform that puts creativity and connection first, earning the trust of more than 6 million customers and over 36,000 five-star reviews along the way. With Story Mode, Mixbook introduces an entirely new kind of creative experience: one that starts with your story and shapes your memories into something beautiful, personal, and lasting.