Even though I always deactivate AI in operating systems, I have tested and reviewed several powerful AI tools for specific tasks, including DaVinci Resolve (Studio), Descript and ElevenLabs, all leaders in different aspects audiovisual production, which I have used personally and continue to do so. Today, Mixbook introduced Story Mode, a new prompt-based photobook creation experience built on patent-pending AI technology for memory understanding and photobook generation. Story Mode users describe what they want to capture in a few words, upload their photos, and receive thoughtfully designed, print-ready photobook options to order or customize, speeding up creation by 3.5X and cutting time to order in half. Although to date, I have not used it yet, I want to share the information with you, based upon the information I have received and the conversations we have had. At the end of this article, you will see the developer’s responses to my four questions, of which two are related to its platform compatibility, and the other two are about its language capabilites.
«We naturally reflect on our memories through words, but when asked to turn those memories into a photobook, people freeze. When faced with too many photos, limited confidence in design, and not enough time, starting a photobook 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, Story Mode users receive personalized photobook 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
According to Mixbook, most photobook tools fill pages. On the other hand, 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.»
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. Story Mode also leverages Apple’s on-device AI frameworks for photo curation and image scoring, keeping that analysis private and on the user’s device.
For the person who always meant to make that photobook 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.
Platform compatibility
At first, the press release only mentioned iOS (and, in the future, the web), so I asked:
- Does Story Mode also function on iPadOS? Yes!
- Does Story Mode also function on MacOS with Apple Silicon (M1-M5), as many iOS apps do (except when the developer deactivates that option with Apple)? Yes!
Language capabilities
- Is the Story Mode user interface English-only, or if not, what other languages are supported? As of today, Story Mode responds to the user in English only, and the photo book options to print are also only available in English.
- Separately from the user interface language, what languages are supported with the words provided by the user to the tool? If someone types a different language into Story Mode, Story Mode can understand their request. However, responses back to the user will be in English.
This is sad. I hope they add more language capabilities very soon, including Castilian (castellano) aka «Spanish» («español»), the second language used in the United States, where our country is number 2 worldwide in terms of population, second only to México.
Availability
Story Mode is available now, free. Download the Mixbook app from the Apple App Store. The web version will be announced soon. Mixbook makes money when you order printed photobooks, not by selling the software.
Promotion with Paul Anka?
Mixbook has confirmed that it has not recruited Canadian singer-songwriter Paul Anka to promote the new Story Mode app, using his classic 1975 song, «Times of your life» (originally contracted by Kodak), but I wish it were!
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Mixbook lanza Story Mode, una herramienta de IA para crear fotolibros de forma mucho más eficiente
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