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Google Photos is a great way to back up the pictures you’ve taken to the cloud, so you can access them from any device. Let’s explore how to ensure you have the correct backup settings to sync photos and find them later.
Cloud Backup
Once your photos and videos are synced with Google Photos, they are uploaded to your Google account in the cloud, stored on one of Google’s remote data servers. This cross-platform service enables you to access them from any device—a smartphone, tablet, or computer—so long as you are logged into the same Google account.
This means that you can even delete the original images taken on your device and retain a copy online. However, note that while Google Photos is separate from your Google Drive, and can’t be accessed from the latter, it counts towards the overall storage for your Google account. If you are running short, you could opt to delete some photos or videos, or considerincreasing your Google cloud storage for Photos, Drive, and Gmail.
Using Google Photos on Android
Some Android phones come with the Google Photos app pre-installed. If not, you can download it from the Google Play Store. When opened, the Google Photos app will show any images you already have stored in the cloud for your account, even if taken on another device.
Download:Google Photosfor Android (Free)
With Google Photos backup activated, any photos or videos you take on your Android phone will be synced automatically to the cloud. To ensure that the backup service is turned on, tap your profile picture in the top right of the Google Photos app. If you havemultiple accounts on your Android phone, make sure this is the one you wish to use for Google Photos.
A popup info panel will appear. Here, if you see “Backup is off”, tap theTurn on backupoption, then tapTurn on backupto confirm. Google Photos will then start syncing your device’s photos to the cloud, as shown in the info panel.
If you ever want to turn off automatic backup to Google Photos, tap your profile picture, then theBackupoption, tap thethree dotsicon (top right) and selectBackup settings.Then tap the switch forBackupto turn it off. Scrolling down, you can also alter the backup quality, whether to use mobile data for syncing, and whether to back up images from selected app folders on the device.
Using Google Photos on iPhone or iPad
To view all your Google Photos stills and videos on an iOS device, you will need to download the Google Photos iPhone or iPad app from the App Store.
Download:Google Photosfor iOS (Free)
Upon opening the app, you will need toSign into the Google account corresponding to where your existing Google Photos images and videos are stored (if you have any). If you already have a Google account set up on your device (for Google Drive or Gmail), you can use that.
Upon signing in, you will be offered the option toBack up as [your name]. Tap it and choose whether to store photos and videos at theirOriginal qualityor useStorage saveroption. Google Photos will then start backing up your images on the device to the account.
Clicking your profile picture (top right) brings up an info panel showing account storage and backed up items that you can opt to delete from the device. TappingGoogle Photos settingsbrings up further options. If you ever want to turn off automatic syncing to Google Photos, tapBackup complete, then the gear icon, and toggle the switch forBackup & sync.
Access Google Photos on a Computer
you may access all your backed up Google Photos on a computer by visitingphotos.google.comin a web browser and logging into your Google account. This enables you to download photos and also back up images stored on the computer.
Using your computer is also the best way to search Google Photos for older images. The web app can identify people, objects, and text in your photos, and this can help you find the right image quickly.
Find All Your Pictures on Google Photos
Google Photos is an excellent way to back up photos and videos online and view them from anywhere. You may even search through old photos you thought you’d lost, such as when the originals have been deleted from a device.
