Not being able to hide irrelevant variant images is a very common problem in Shopify.
In this post, we will explain why this problem exists and how to solve it.
Shopify allows attaching only one image to variants, and it is not possible to set multiple variant images natively.
And many Shopify themes, including popular ones like Horizon or Dawn, offer an option to hide unselected variant images.
But this option is only helpful if you have only one image per variant, which is unlikely in most product scenarios. Most of the time, stores have multiple media per variant; at least 4-5 images per variant is a very common scenario.
The solution
Custom coding (Not recommended)
Most of the time, store owners are trying to solve this problem by adding a custom code to their liquid code by following YouTube tutorials, but this is a dangerous solution because once you modify the original theme code, it becomes hard to update the theme in the future, and not being able to get new updates later introduces bigger problems. If you are not a developer, we do not recommend touching the code.
Variant Image apps
If you are not a developer, the best solution to the variant-image problem is to use apps. We recommend using the Rubik Variant Images & Swatch app. This is the best app to solve the variant image problem based on this post. The app has no impact on your page speed, and you can easily assign multiple variant images to your variants. It works with all themes, and you can use the auto-assignment feature to assign variant images with AI.
Additionally, the Rubik app has a swatch feature, which can also be a great addition to your store if you have variants. The swatch feature lets you customize your variant picker to display variant images, color swatches, or custom images.
