Skip to main content

How to back up photos and videos to Google Photos

Google’s annual I/O conference did little to rock the boat in 2015, but the giant tech company did wow attendees with its announcement of the new Google Photos service.

Google Photos isn’t just a duplicate of the Photos component within Google+, Google’s social network. Instead, Google Photos differs in that it gives users unlimited storage of photos and videos, provided that they are no larger than 16 megapixels (photos) or Full HD 1080p (videos); larger photos and videos are either downsized or counted against a user’s base 15GB Google Account storage. Moreover, Google doesn’t require iOS, Android, or Web users to have a Google+ account to access this new service, making it even more attractive for any smartphone user to utilize.

Recommended Videos

Because Google Photos gives users boundless cloud access to save (compressed) photos and videos, the application gives millions of smartphone and tablet users the instant ability to free up some precious storage space on their devices. By simply activating the Back up & sync function on an Android or iOS-based smartphone or tablet, Google Photos automatically saves all photos and videos stored on all the devices a user owns, as well as any taken in the future.

All photos backed up from synced devices also save to a private folder — unless you choose otherwise — assuring those photos from your night out last week aren’t seen by the entire Internet. All content is synced across devices, so it doesn’t matter if you view them on an iPhone one minute, and move to an Android tablet next. To help those new to the app activate this handy feature, we’ve put together this comprehensive walkthrough detailing the steps necessary to back up any pictures or videos to Google Photos.

Activating the Back up & sync function for iOS and Android

For both mobile operating systems, a similar process exists for activating the Back up & sync function. Simply open the Google Photos application, tap the menu icon in the top left corner of the screen, then select Settings. Once inside the Settings menu, click Back up & sync, and choose to set the feature to either on or off. After changing the setting to on, any photo or video stored on your smartphone backs up to the Google Photos application. To access these photos and videos on the Web, simply navigate to the Google Photos webpage.

For Android users: Altering your phone’s backup settings changes the backup settings for any downloaded application that uses a Back up & sync function. For instance, an app like Google Drive also utilizes such functionality, meaning once you activate the feature, Google Drive’s content also starts backing up. Moreover, turning off the Back up & sync function stops other capable apps from backing up its content.

For iOS users: A message may appear after activating Back up & sync asking for permission to access the device’s photos. To turn this on simply navigate to the phone’s Settings application, select the Privacy option, then switch Google Photos to “on” within the Photos category. When turning off the function, always make sure to switch Back up & sync off in every application that has the ability to utilize it – like the above mentioned Google Drive.

Once you activate the Back up & sync function we also recommend checking which photos or videos don’t back up to your account. To do this, navigate to the Google Photos menu via the icon in the top left corner of the application and click Photos. Browse through the photos listed: all those adorned with an icon resembling a cloud with a strike through it did not back up.

Understanding how the sync process works

If you choose to activate Google Photos’ sync function, keep in mind any changes made to photos or videos occur across every device synced to your account. For instance, if you make any alterations to a photo or video – or just altogether delete them – on the Google Photos Web page, the same alterations occur on any smartphone or tablet synced to the account. Any computer signed into your Google Account that accesses Google Photos also becomes a synced computer, thus also having the ability to alter and delete any photos saved to your library.

Brandon Widder
Brandon Widder is a multimedia journalist and a staff writer for Digital Trends where he covers technology news, how-to…
Jazz up your iPhone videos with these creative ideas from Apple
jazz up your iphone videos with these ideas from apple creative

If you’re looking for some inspiration on how to shoot more engaging videos on your iPhone -- or any smartphone for that matter -- then check out a new video released by Apple with exactly that aim in mind.

Made in collaboration with creatives Donghoon Jun and James Thornton of Incite, the video, titled Everyday Experiments: Full Bloom, offers up lots of flower-focused ideas to take your videography skills to the next level.

Read more
The best camera apps for Android
Best photo apps for Android

The old saying that the best camera you have is the one you always carry with you is more relevant today than ever. Almost everyone packing a modern smartphone has a fantastic camera on hand that can shoot publishable photos and videos in a snap. The best smartphone cameras are aided by the vast abundance of great photo apps available on the Android platform.

That may come as a surprise for many, as the iPhone has traditionally reigned supreme for its photographic prowess and excellent apps. But in recent years, Android apps have caught up in a big way, offering many of the same advanced tools and features for shooting and editing photos and videos. Today, as you navigate the vast abundance of photo apps on the Google Play Store, we guide you toward the best ones for your Android phone.
Instagram (free)

Read more
The best camera apps for the iPhone
best camera apps for the iPhone

If there’s one truism about iPhones, it’s that they have some of the best cameras in smartphones. However, a great camera becomes even better when paired with an outstanding app, and Apple’s default app can be found lacking in many respects.

To help iPhone users get the most out of the cameras, we’ve compiled a list of the best camera apps to add expanded editing capabilities, filters, and features most people only expect from high-end DSLR cameras.
Camera+ 2 ($4)

Read more