Do Photos Automatically Upload To Google Photos

How does Google Photos work?

(Prototype credit: Google/Hereafter owns)

To keep your files protected and well-managed, exploring cloud storage is a savvy move to make – in both your professional and personal life.

Released in 2015, Google Photos is a leading, costless deject storage option worth considering if you want to go on your image and video files attractively organised, easily accessible from ane identify and reassuringly secure.

In this article, we intermission down how Google Photos works to help yous decide whether it meets your storage needs. If you want to gain even more insight, yous tin also read our rundown of its competition in our guide to the best cloud storage and the best Google Photos alternatives. Also cheque our Google Photos review. Likewise see today'southward top cloud storage deals below:

Getting started on Google Photos

You can use Google Photos on your computer, Android device, and iPhone/iPad – but you will demand to create a Google Account first if you haven't already got ane. You can either download Google Photos as an app or utilise it on a web browser, depending on which device you want to use.

In one case you take admission, y'all can upload and sync all the images/videos on your device to the Google Photos library. If you lot're using the Android or iOS app, this is achieved by selecting Backup and Sync, which is constitute in Settings. After that, whatever new photos and videos you take will be automatically uploaded to your Google Photos library. Y'all tin apace discover your photos by scrolling to the lesser of the app interface and selecting Photos.

If yous're using the web browser version of Google Photos, y'all can manually upload files from your Google Drive or figurer by selecting Upload – located along the top of the dashboard. What's more, the same automatic Backup and Sync choice is available as a download for your desktop. Lastly, you can view all your uploaded photos by selecting Photos from the left-paw side column of the dashboard.

In all cases, you can quickly upload and sync your unabridged collection of photos/videos to Google Photos. One time this is established, you can keep to take photos and videos knowing they will be automatically added to your Google Photos space.

Pricing and storage options

As yous might already know, you get 15GB of gratuitous storage with a Google Account, which is shared across Gmail, Google Drive, and Google Photos. This free programme is, of course, what y'all automatically get with your Google Business relationship. However, you can opt for bigger Google storage plans, which start at $1.99 per calendar month for 100GB of storage.

When it comes to Google Photos, you can currently enjoy unlimited storage for free if you select the High quality storage setting – though this comes with some limitations that can affect the quality of the images and videos uploaded.

Essentially, the High quality setting enables you to maximise your storage infinite. That said, if an image exceeds 16MP, or a video exceeds a resolution of 1080p, Google Photos automatically compresses it to conserve overall storage space. This means that a 4K video, for example, would exist reduced to a resolution of 1080p when uploaded to Google Photos.

Alternatively, if you want to retain the original quality of your photos and videos, you can opt for the Original storage setting instead, which doesn't make any alterations to quality but does mean the file volition take upward more than room. If this is a trouble, you always accept the option to upgrade your Google storage programme, every bit mentioned earlier.

Lastly, it's important to note that Google states it will update its storage policy on June 1 2021, which ways "new photos and videos backed up in High quality will count towards your gratis 15GB of Google Account storage." Yet, this will not include any photos and videos you upload before this date.

Main features and functions

To a large extent, knowing how Google Photos works means being familiar with its main features and functions. Many of these are designed to organise and categorise your media files, while others enable y'all to share and edit them.

Firstly, Google Photos arranges your videos and photos by date, with the about recent uploads appearing at the top of your interface. If you lot're using the Android/iOS app, you tin can zoom in and out to view your files by month, week, day, or individually. The aforementioned tin be achieved on a web browser by engaging your cursor on the vertical timeline function, which is located on the right-manus side of the screen.

Regarding file organization, much of Google Photos' wizardry can exist accredited to its AI-assisted features. Essentially, these features can group files together past recognising the common elements among them – such as dates, places, people, pets, and even more generic aspects (such as sky or fields). This tin can be useful for when you desire to create themed albums or share a item set of photos and/or videos with others. Furthermore, you can use a powerful search bar to apace observe photos based on their common elements.

For editing, Google Photos enables you crop and rotate photos, also as adjust their filter and lighting components. Moreover, by selecting Utilities, you tin add blitheness to your photos, as well every bit make themed movies and create collages with them.

Lastly, sharing. Y'all tin send your media files to somebody else by clicking on the sharing icon (located along the top of your screen) then typing in their telephone number or e-mail address. Additionally, in Utilities you lot can choose to share files with a partner account, which can be achieved by selecting Get Started then typing in the relevant name or email accost.

Is Google Photos for you?

Google Photos is a pop cloud storage selection, which works by giving you lot unlimited free storage for your images and videos – if they are a maximum of 16MP and 1080p, respectively. However, you can upgrade to paid storage plans if you want to retain your higher resolution files and need more than the free 15GB provided.

Google Photos' features enable you to safely (and quickly) upload, back up, organise, edit, and share your photos/videos.

Read more:

The best cloud storage for photos and videos
What is cloud migration?
Deject storage: How much do I need, and what are the options

Liam is a freelance content author with ii writing-based university degrees. He has accumulated noesis on a multifariousness of tech topics, including VPNs, antivirus products, cybersecurity, TV streaming, and pop apps.

He too contributes to an arts and civilization online magazine called Now So, based in Manchester, England. In his spare time, he enjoys reading and writing verse.