What to do with a Meta Portal
Meta stopped making the Portal in 2022, and the video-calling features it was built for have been winding down since. But the hardware is still lovely: a bright screen, a decent speaker, and a stand - already sitting on your kitchen counter, already plugged in. The best second life for a Portal is the thing it always did best between calls: showing photos of the people you love.
The Portal's saving grace: it has a browser
Portal's screen-based models include a built-in web browser, and that is all a digital photo frame needs. MyFrames runs entirely in the browser: sign in once, pick the photos, and the Portal plays a full-screen slideshow with a clock - no app store, no sideloading, and no subscription.
Turn it into a photo frame
- On the Portal, open the Browser app (find it in the Apps list).
- Go to myframes.app and sign in with Google. The sign-in only identifies you; it grants no photo access by itself.
- Pick the photos. Google's own photo picker opens and you choose exactly which photos the frame may show - or paste a public iCloud shared album link.
- Start the frame. The slideshow goes full screen with a clock overlay and keeps playing on its own.
- Leave the Portal plugged in as usual. Setup is easier from a phone or laptop first - your frames are saved to your account, so on the Portal you only need to sign in and press play.
An honest caveat
Portals stopped receiving new features long ago, and software versions vary. If your Portal's browser no longer loads modern websites, this won't work - the honest test takes one minute: open the browser and visit the site. And if the Portal ever gives up entirely, the same setup works on an old tablet or any screen with a browser.
Common questions
Which Portal models does this work on?
Any Portal whose built-in web browser still loads modern websites. The screen-based models (Portal, Portal Mini, Portal+, Portal Go) all shipped with a browser app; Portal TV renders on your television instead, so use the TV's own browser there if it has one.
Will this stop working as Meta winds Portal down?
MyFrames doesn't depend on Meta's services - it's a website. As long as the Portal boots, connects to Wi-Fi, and its browser still opens modern web pages, the frame keeps playing.
Do my photos go through Meta or MyFrames servers?
Photos are relayed from Google Photos or iCloud to the Portal while the slideshow plays and cached only on the device. MyFrames never stores your photo files on its servers.
Can I still use the Portal for calls?
The photo frame is just a browser tab, so it takes nothing over. Whatever your Portal's software still supports keeps working; open the browser again to bring the frame back.
No new hardware to buy. Works with Google Photos and iCloud shared albums.