Google photo QA: Backup & Sync / Google Photos

Question: Backup & Sync / Google Photos

I have looked in the forum for CLEAR answers to question I have and still have no clarity as to what…

I have looked in the forum for CLEAR answers to question I have and still have no clarity as to what is happening with the new Backup & Sync app to Google Photos. Perhaps someone can clarify for me.
1) Is Google Photos still free storage for high quality images (16Mp or less)?
2) Is it possible to backup photos ONLY to Google Photos? (bypass Google Drive)
3) Does the old Google Photos Backup still work at all?

Answer:

Is Google Photos still free storage for high quality images (16Mp or less)?
Yes if you upload with the setting "High Quality" in the app used for uploading. When you use Backup & Sync photos are uploaded to Drive and shown in Photos as well. When a photo cannot be loaded from Drive to Google Photos it stays in Drive only and will use storage.
Is it possible to backup photos ONLY to Google Photos? (bypass Google Drive)
Yes, when you upload manually. For an average user it may be worth to do so. You keep much more control and can much more easily systematically add photos to albums.
Does the old Google Photos Backup still work at all?
It seems NO. I never used it, but Google announced that it would stop working.

Answer:

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Question: Edited photos are being backed up as separate/new files (iOS)

I'm running the latest version of IOS and the Google Photos app on my iPhone. I've noticed that if I…

I'm running the latest version of IOS and the Google Photos app on my iPhone.

I've noticed that if I take a photo, then use Google Photos to back the photo up, it gets backed up. BUT then if I go and edit the original photo within the IOS Photos app, e.g. crop or use the magic wand tool, the Google Photos app will then back the photo as a new photo/file so as a result I then get duplicates.

The duplicates also appear when I view them on the Google Photos website.

This never used to happen and in the Photos app on my iPhone there is only ever one version of the photo. It is specifically Google Photos that is backing up the same (but edited) file as a new photo/file.

Has anyone else noticed this?

I took about 150 photos at the weekend which I then enhanced/edited and now Google Photos has backed the edited files in addition to the original ones.

Answer:

Hello Chris,

Thanks for posting in the Google Photos Support Community.

This is an intended behavior with Google Photos. Google Photos backs up everything that's there in your device (Device/SD or original/edited).

Let me know if you have any questions.

Regards,

Amanda

Answer:

Amanda

I'm not quite sure you are correct.

This behaviour has only started happening within the last few week.

Google Photos does back up everything however the issue I am reporting is that there is only *one photo* on my device - it is Google Photos that is treating that one photo as two photos i.e. the original unedited photo and the edited photo.

Up until the last few weeks the Google Photos app treated the single photo as a single photo when it backed it up.

Answer:

Hello Chris,

Welcome to the Google Photos Support Community.

I understand how important Google Photos is for you and I'll be happy to help. This seems to be more of a network issue.

In the meantime, could you please uninstall and reinstall the Google Photos app on your iOS device and login with the same Google Account to check if this sorts the issue?

Let me know how it goes.

Cheers,

Amanda

Answer:

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Question: Issues with timestamps?

It seems as if timestamps are an on/off again issue? I've seen a few threads about it time to time, …

It seems as if timestamps are an on/off again issue? I've seen a few threads about it time to time, but no real solution? I only noticed this recently because I rarely mix my smartphone and digital camera pictures. I did the other day and I noticed it was all out of order.

It seems no matter how I get my pictures to Google Photos, the timestamps change (sometimes immediately, sometimes after a while). Between all these things, I would clear my phone cache when applicable as well as empty the Photos trash can.

upload files in batch to the web, both direct to photos root and album
upload files one by one to the web, both direct to photos root and album (this seemed to hold time the longest... I check w/in the hour and it was good, but next day, timestamps all off)
upload files by copying to phone over SMB, then syncing
upload files by copying to phone over Resilio, then syncing

I didn't track it, but the latter two methods seemed to shift time an hour back while over the web has shifted about 5 hours back (but I don't know how consistent this is). My camera (Olympus E-M5 mkII) photos, looked back at a few recent albums, I've noticed, all have a time shift. I don't have time to try various cameras to see yet, but every other app sees the proper capture time from the same photos.

To make things worse, when uploading by copying to the phone, it *seemed* as if it was using modified date *sometimes*. But either way it would sometimes just be a timeshift, as if it were the wrong timezone.

Has anyone had this issue? Pretty sure it's limited to non-smartphone camera stuff.

Answer:

"Has anyone had this issue?"

Many signaled issues with timestamps, and we have no clear answer.

You may find some thoughts here:

https://support.google.com/photos/thread/113518
https://support.google.com/photos/thread/118219
https://support.google.com/photos/thread/115124
https://support.google.com/photos/thread/134158
https://support.google.com/photos/thread/141096
https://support.google.com/photos/thread/142052

and there are more ...

Answer:

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Question: Photos of stickers from my keyboard have been added to my gallery. How do I permanently delete them

Deleted them but they return somehow

Hello Debi,

Welcome to the Google Photos Support Community.

Could you please elaborate the issue or your query for me to assist you better? Are these stickers downloaded to your device from a third party app?

Also, please share a few more screenshots of the issue you're experiencing. Ensure you don't include any of your personal and/or account information in the screenshots that you share.

Keep me posted.

Regards,

Amanda

Answer:

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Question: Clicked compress to high quality as storage was full, still shows as full.. please assist.

I got option to compress the 13 gb of google photos in my google storage to high quality. I pressed …

I got option to compress the 13 gb of google photos in my google storage to high quality. I pressed it so thst i will make space, but even then the storage shows as it is full please assist. And remaining photos are uploading at high quality. i want my previously uploaded photos at original quality to be compressed to high quality.

Answer:

You should press the Recover storage button in the backupsettings and then wait a day and then check again. At one.google.com/storage you should see zero at Photos, but maybe still 13 GB at Drive because you have stored there a lot which can't be compressed. Or in Gmail.

Answer:

You should press the Recover storage button in the backupsettings and then wait a day and then check again. At one.google.com/storage you should see zero at Photos, but maybe still 13 GB at Drive because you have stored there a lot which can't be compressed. Or in Gmail.

Answer:

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Question: Different search algorithms being used for Google Photos vs. Google Drive?

We've used Drive (Back up and Sync from our main computer) for a while now and are SO IMPRESSED with…

We've used Drive (Back up and Sync from our main computer) for a while now and are SO IMPRESSED with the search algorithm... It's amazing -- It pulls search results even from handwriting in an image(!). We've been thinking about having our iPhone photos automatically uploaded to Google Photos, but in my testing, the search algorithms in Google Photos is not anywhere close to as good as Drive... Why?? Or is it a setting I'm missing? Thanks!

(Here's an example picture - not a great picture, but it illustrates the point... upload the photo to both Google Drive and Google Photos... search for "sourdough" in both places, and Drive finds it instantly whereas Photos says "no results". )

Answer:

With using Backup & Sync on computer your folders are synced to Drive and their contents is copied (uploaded) to Photos without taking additional storage at the same time (if the box right-down is checked).

So you have them on two different platforms and can use each searchbox for its own specialities. But to my experience Google Photos has much more artificial intelligence then Google Drive.

On Drive searching for a word would result in many textdocuments where I have typed that word myself.

But the Google Photos app on your phone only syncs to Google Photos and there no connection from Photos to Drive anymore since July. I am not aware of any app which directly syncs to Drive instead.

Answer:

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Question: I can't find my inbox

I can't access my mail and junk folders

Paolo,

This is the Google Photos dedicated forum.

Please visit the Gmail help Center https://support.google.com/mail/?hl=en#topic=7065107for solution to your issue.

Kojo

Answer:

How can I get into my inbox to get my fb passcode somebody made a th acct with my info n now I can't get into my fb or mess n I sent it to my recovery email n I can't get into that acct to get the passcode to my fb can somebody please help me recover my fb n mess acct

Answer:

Paolo,

This is the Google Photos dedicated forum.

Please visit the Gmail help Center https://support.google.com/mail/?hl=en#topic=7065107for solution to your issue.

Kojo

Answer:

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Question: You can't see me

You can't see me

Hello Harish,

Welcome to the Google Photos Support Community.

Could you please elaborate the issue or your query for me to assist you better? Are you referring to an issue with Google Photos?

Also, please share a few more screenshots of the issue you're experiencing. Ensure you don't include any of your personal and/or account information in the screenshots that you share.

Keep me posted.

Regards,

Amanda

Answer:

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Question: My old phone did'nt work i have photo and some information and i need them pls help me

I want my photo in my old sumsung not2

Hello Asra,

Thanks for posting in the Google Photos Support Community.

I understand that you're unable to find the photos that were backed up from your old phone and I'll be happy to help you. Maybe the photos weren't uploaded successfully at the first place to Google Photos (cloud) and also make sure you're logged in to Google Photos with the same Google Account that you used during the backup. Photos/videos that are not synced or backed up, will still appear in Google Photos and will have this icon

(which means not synced/backed up) or some photos/videos will also show up with the two arrows in a circle mean backup is in progress.

Once the upload is complete there will be no icon on any photos/videos. Often, many of us misinterpret that they are all backed up because the photos/videos show up in Google Photos and we over see the icons on each photo/video. If the photos/videos weren't backed up they cannot be deleted from the Google Photos library nor Trash.

In case, you are uploading a large amount of data (photos/videos), please know that it might take 24-48 hours for the photos and videos to sync across all devices. Please ensure to have 'Backup & sync' enabled on the Google Photos settings while you're backing up your photos and videos. To check is the content is backed up, login in to photos.google.com to checked for your backed up photos and videos.

However, if you're sure they were backed up, I recommend you looking for your video here:

If a photo/s is deleted from Google Photos, it would go to Trash/Bin for the next 60 days (after deletion). Unfortunately, if the photos aren't found in Trash or deleted from Trash, I'm afraid, you might not find them else where to recover them because Trash is the last resort to retrieve your lost/deleted photos.

Meanwhile, also try giving the below steps a try once again in a sequence to help resolve the issue:

Close the Google Photos app and re-launch it.
Sign out and sign back in to Google Photos with the same Google Account.
Clear App data:

Open your device's Settings app (not the Google Settings app).
Touch Apps.
Select Google Photos in the list.
Touch Clear data.

Update the Google Photos app on your Android phone:

Visit the Google Play Store.
Open Google Photos.
Touch on Update.

Let me know how it goes.

Best,

Amanda

Answer:

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Question: Sort imported pictures by the day they were taken

Hi, I have recently decided to stop using Picasa and to move to Google photos. Therefore, i am curre…

Hi,

I have recently decided to stop using Picasa and to move to Google photos. Therefore, i am currently importing all the photos I have on my laptop to Google photos. When the pictures are imported, they all appear with the date of today (when they were imported) and not when they were actually taken. I have about 10 years of pictures and would hate for them to be all sorted by the day I imported them on Google photos.

Could you please help me to find a way to sort them by the day they were taken?

Thanks!

Answer:

"I have decided to stop using Picasa and to move to Google photos."

Google photos is no replacement for Picasa3, but for Picasa Web Albums. In fact yu can keep using Picasa for local management and editing of photos, and then upload them to Google Photos for sharing and as backup. Having them ONLY in Google Photos would not be wise: no system is safe against loss of photos.

"i am currently importing all the photos I have on my laptop to Google photos."

How do you import them ? As Picasa user you may have them in folders or albums, and if you still want them in albums in Google Photos I would recommend to upload them manually, one folder/album at a time. That may take some extra time but may be worth the effort.

"When the pictures are imported, they all appear with the date of today"

That is weird. Photos should be sorted by Date taken in the library. In albums they can also be sorted by camera date, oldest or newest first. No idea why you get them sorted wrongly. How did you upload ? Are these photos from a digital camera or scanned photos ?

Answer:

Hi.

Assuming you are working in browser only, let's check the images. First, let's confirm that the meta data on the photos is of the Date Take and wasn't change to a "last modified" date. If you click on a photo to open it, a fuller menu will appear. In the upper right you'll see an "i" for INFO. Click on that.

The meta for this image should appear, including the Date & Time information. Any chance that information was changed to a more current date and not the original date?

If not, could you provide more info, such as: what browser are you working in? etc. ?

And I would agree with the earlier post: having another desktop photo organizer is a good tool for managing on-line and off-line photos.

Lastly, if you just want to 'group' photos together by their respective dates, you can do this manually. I don't like doing this IF you have meta-data - but sharing just in case.

Manual work around:

Toss images into an album.
Select the images.

Click on the More Options (3 dots) in upper right corner

On drop-down menu, select EDIT DATE & TIME

I have had to use this feature for very old photos I scanned in; and this was how I achieved sorting in proper order.

Hope this helps.

Answer:

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Question: I lost a phone witch had me logged in my google photos and i take pictures on my new phone and the pictures syncs

Log out my email

Hi Maria,

I'm sorry for your lost phone and photos.

If auto backup was turned on in the Google Photos app on the old phone you may be able to access the photos by visiting the https://photos.google.com website and signing in with all your Google accounts if you have more than one.

Answer:

I'm an astronomy and space popularizer, a Google enthusiast, and a co-host of the first Italian space podcast since 2007.Having been fully in the Google ecosystem since the start I have extensive experience with its products. I was an early adopter of the search engine in 1998 and Android in 2009. As a member of the Top Contributors, and later Product Experts Program, I have been helping users in the official support forums since 2013.

Answer:

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Question: how do i change the gmail background

change my background

Hello Beverly,

Welcome to the Google Photos Support Community.

I'd suggest posting your question to the Gmail Help Forum for better assistance

Regards,

Amanda

Answer:

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Question: "How do i backub my photo?".

What are you trying to do or i tried so far.

Hello Supero Aleksunder,

Welcome to the Google Photos Support Community.

Could you please elaborate the issue or your query for me to assist you better? Are you referring to backing upyour photos/videos from your Android device to Google Photos? If yes, to Backup your photos/video, before you start, make sure you're signed in.

On your Android phone or tablet, open the Google Photos app .
Sign in to your Google Account.
At the top, tap Menu .
Select Settings Back up & sync.
Tap "Back up & sync" on or off.

Things to keep in mind about this setting:

Changing backup settings will affect all apps that use Back up & sync, such as Google Drive.
If you have Back up & sync on, deleting the Google Photos app from your device will not turn it off. To turn off Back up & sync, follow the instructions above.

Here's a useful help article to know about backing up photos and videos to Google Photos.

If no, keep me posted.

Regards,

Amanda

Answer:

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Question: 구글포토의 공유가 한꺼번에 없어졌습니다. 외사 계정의 지슈트 계정을 사용중입니다. 내부의 회사계정 모두와의 공유가 한꺼번에 없어졌으며, 다시공유를 걸어주려해도 되지 않습니다.

구글포토의 공유가 한꺼번에 없어졌습니다. 외사 계정의 지슈트 계정을 사용중입니다. 내부의 회사계정 모두와의 공유가 한꺼번에 없어졌으며, 다시공유를 걸어주려해도 되지 않습니다.

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Question: Sharing between G Suite users in Google Photos is gone

We do communicate in English here and we are not aware of special restrictions or changes in GSuite-accounts because Google Photos normally is used with a personal Gmail-account.

But I don't see any remarks about GSuite on this link and I can't check myself.

No Google here either.

Sorry

Answer:

We do communicate in English here and we are not aware of special restrictions or changes in GSuite-accounts because Google Photos normally is used with a personal Gmail-account.

But I don't see any remarks about GSuite on this link and I can't check myself.

No Google here either.

Sorry

Answer:

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Question: Get all my storage

That is so important for me

Hello Kiran,

Welcome to the Google Photos Support Community.

Could you please elaborate the issue or your query for me to assist you better? Are you referring to an issue with Google storage quota?

Also, please share a few more screenshots of the issue you're experiencing. Ensure you don't include any of your personal and/or account information in the screenshots that you share.

Keep me posted.

Regards,

Amanda

Answer:

Hi all,

Thanks for waiting.

Could you please elaborate the issue or your query for me to assist you better? It can be possible that the photos weren't uploaded successfully to Google Photos (cloud) and also make sure you're logged in to Google Photos with the same Google Account that you used during the backup. Photos/videos that are not synced or backed up, will still appear in Google Photos and will have this icon

(which means not synced/backed up) or some photos/videos will also show up with the two arrows in a circle mean backup is in progress.

However, if you're sure they were backed up, I recommend you looking for your video here:

Let me know if you have any questions.

Regards,

Amanda

Answer:

Hello Kiran,

Welcome to the Google Photos Support Community.

Could you please elaborate the issue or your query for me to assist you better? Are you referring to an issue with Google storage quota?

Also, please share a few more screenshots of the issue you're experiencing. Ensure you don't include any of your personal and/or account information in the screenshots that you share.

Keep me posted.

Regards,

Amanda

Answer:

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Question: syncronization duration

Dear All, I'm trying to syncronize on my Account a 70gb pictures folder from an external hard disk, …

Dear All, I'm trying to syncronize on my Account a 70gb pictures folder from an external hard disk, every time I start the the BackUp&Sync program it takes the whole day to analyze about 20k files that are already backupped on the cloud, so ignored. as I switch off my laptop and I restart it on the next morning it begins from zero, making impossible to upload the remaining picture, could you help me please?

Thanks

Answer:

Hello alberto82,

Welcome to the Google Photos Help Forum.

Unable to back up photos can sometimes be upsetting. I'd recommend trying the below steps to check if they resolve the issue:

Open the Google Photos app on your mobile device .
At the bottom, tap Assistant .
Read the first card. If it says:

"Back up & sync is off": Tap "TURN ON" on the card to back up your device's photos and videos, including ones you capture in the future.
"A photo or video was skipped": A photo or video on your mobile device doesn't meet our uploadrequirements:

Photos can't exceed 75MB or 100 megapixels.
Videos can't exceed 10GB.

It does take approximately 24-48 hours for the photos and videos to sync across all devices. Please ensure to have 'Backup & sync' enabled on the Google Photos settings while you're backing up your photos and videos. It's possible that Google Photos is merely scanning your library again, the scan will take some time, but it shouldn't re-upload the photos entirely as duplicates. The app may look like it's doing this but it's actually doing a re-scan of the photos.

If the issue still persist after 24-48 hours, then uninstall and reinstalling the Google Photos Backup and sync tool to check if this sorts the issue.

Let me know how it goes.

Regards,

Amanda

Answer:

Hi alberto82,

Thanks for writing back.

Have you tried uninstalling and reinstalling the Google Photos Backup and Sync tool?

Awaiting your response.

Best,

Amanda

Answer:

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Question: CAN I GET BACK ALL MY GOOGLE PHOTOS AND VIDEOS?

I DELETED ALL MY GOOGLE PHOTOS AND VIDEOS FROM GOOGLE PHOTOS

CAN I GET BACK ALL THIS

IT IS BEFORE ONE YEAR

IF I GET , ITS HELPFULL

Answer:

The trash on Google Photos holds them for 60 days only - so you are too late.

See https://photos.google.com/trash

Answer:

The trash on Google Photos holds them for 60 days only - so you are too late.

See https://photos.google.com/trash

Answer:

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Question: Google's People, Places, Things Thumbnail

When I click the "Things" album, there are a variety of different sub-albums. I would like to change…

When I click the "Things" album, there are a variety of different sub-albums. I would like to change the thumbnail of one of those albums. One of them has a photo that I, erm, don't want there. I've removed that photo entirely from that album, and have archived it yet it still remains as the main thumbnail photo for that album. How can I change or update these thumbnails. I feel like there should be an option to disable this feature altogether

Answer:

Hello Joe2211,

Thanks for posting in the Google Photos Support Community.

I understand and I know how important Google Photos is for you. Please give the below steps a try in a sequence to help resolve the issue:

Check your internet connection (mobile data).
Close the Google Photos app and re-launch it.
Sign out and sign back in to Google Photos with the same Google Account.
Clear App data:

Open your device's Settings app (not the Google Settings app).
Touch Apps.
Select Google Photos in the list.
Touch Clear data.

Update the Google Photos app on your Android phone:

Visit the Google Play Store.
Open Google Photos.
Touch on Update.

Let me know how it goes.

Regards,

Amanda

Answer:

I've tried each solution and the issue still persists. Updating the app DID clear out default thumbnails temporarily however the old thumbnails came right back after sycing. Note that the photo set to the thumbnail for "things\

Answer:

Hi Joe2211,

Thanks for writing back.

Could you please try using the Google Maps app by switching the phone to Safe Mode? In Android 4.1 or later versions, to reboot into safe mode you have to long press the power button until you get the options menu which has the following options – Power off, Airplane mode, and Silent mode. After getting these options on your screen, long press the Power off button, you will be getting a message that prompts you to reboot your device to safe mode. By tapping the OK button, your device will reboot into safe mode, which will disable all third party applications you have installed.You can be sure that your device started in safe mode by seeing a safe mode indicator on the bottom left side corner of your device screen.

Keep me posted.

Best,

Amanda

Answer:

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Question: pictures missing from Google Photos

my pictures were archived and I didn't delete any of those but now they are missing. can't find any …

my pictures were archived and I didn't delete any of those but now they are missing. can't find any from bin / google drive. need a soloution to get it back!

Answer:

Hi Jeffrey,

I recommend that you look for your photos here, signing in with all your Google accounts if you have more than one:

photos.google.com
photos.google.com/archive
photos.google.com/trash
get.google.com/albumarchive
drive.google.com
other online photo or file storage services you use (e.g. Dropbox, OneDrive, Verizon, Amazon)

I also recommend that you go through these steps for troubleshooting missing photos https://support.google.com/photos/answer/6306652

I have already checked all the link you provided and still I can't find my pictures. As I mentioned I put those pictures archived, it should be easily to find and I am 100% sure I never delete those pictures.

I've checked some other thread as well and obviously I am not the only one having the same issue. However you reply tread me like a stupid customer accidentally delete or hide my own pictures, I want to make that statement clear I DID NOT delete any of those and I deeply looking forward to your team provide a real soloution. Otherwise admit your system have a glitch and accidentally delete our pictures and make a apologize would be great.

thanks

Answer:

Hi Jeffrey,

are all the photos missing or only some of them? Approximately how long ago did you last visit the https://photos.google.com website and still found there the photos that are now missing?

To clarify, this is a user-to-user community and we're not Google employees. We're volunteers, i.e. ordinary users like you who try to assist other users. I actually didn't make assumptions on whether you deleted the photos but I apologize if it seemed otherwise.

I would like to apologize for being impolite.

I've been seeking help from Pixel support team, and end up I got the reply like this:

"Thank you for contacting Google Support!

I certainly understand the concern. I've tried my best to get this sorted for you. However we are from Pixel hardware support and we are limited with the resources to help you with the Google photos."

I found I am not the only user having this same issue and obviously Google has no soloution for this issue.

Answer:

No problem Jeffrey, missing photos are definitely concerning and troubleshooting these issues is tough as often there are few or no clues.

Do you happen to remember how long ago you last saw the photos online on the website? Are all the photos missing?

Answer:

I'm an astronomy and space popularizer, a Google enthusiast, and a co-host of the first Italian space podcast since 2007.Having been fully in the Google ecosystem since the start I have extensive experience with its products. I was an early adopter of the search engine in 1998 and Android in 2009. As a member of the Top Contributors, and later Product Experts Program, I have been helping users in the official support forums since 2013.

Answer:

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Question: I think I deleted photo assistant by mistake it's not accessible anymore. Press and nothing happens

Searched but not had any luck to activate, swiped right and it disappeared. Added photo but it hasn'…

Hi Sylvia,

Thank you for posting here in the Google Photos Support Community.

Unfortunately, edited photos generated by the Assistant feature are not saved unless you do so manually and once deleted they cannot be restored.

If you'd like to see changes on this, you can always submit feedback with Google's product team for improvement:

Open the Google Photos app on a mobile device or go to photos.google.com using a computer .
At the top left, touch or click the menu icon > Help & Feedback.
Touch or click Feedback. You can tell us things like:

What you like or dislike about the app.
Things that are confusing or don't work.

If you check the box to include screenshots and logs, it helps us understand your feedback.

Feel free to continue posting in the forum and to visit the Google Photos Help Center homepage should you have any additional questions on Photos.

Let me know if you have any questions.

Regards,

Amanda

Answer:

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Question: Want to delete multiple google accounts same time

I need to delete multiple google accounts at the same time

Hello bee Bird,

Welcome to the Google Photos Community,

Unfortunately we don't not have access to users account as it is all controlled by the Gmail team. Please head over to the Gmail forum where they are able to help better than we can.

See: Delete your Google Account

Regards,

Peter

Answer:

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Question: How to recovery permanently deleted photos from Google drive plz help me sir

I have deleted photos from Google drive accidentally plz recover them

See https://support.google.com/photos/thread/111108?msgid=116296

Answer:

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Question: What happens to my files when the subscription (month) is over?

Can I download them normally?

Check your usage here: https://www.google.com/settings/storage

If you are under 15 GB nothing will happen.

If you are over 15 GB check under Details if these gigabytes are on Photos mainly.

If so, you can use the Recover storage button https://photos.google.com/settings to reduce that to zero.

Your pictures will be compressed then to High Quality.

See https://support.google.com/photos/answer/6220791?hl=en&ref_topic=6156061

Downloading can be done via Take-out for Photos only (see https://www.google.com/settings/takeout), but the result will be hard to use. Do that before compressing.

But thereafter you may need to delete a lot on Photos and maybe on Drive also.

Answer:

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Question: Google Photos is entirely confusing in the regard that photos shared with me in public folders are in the same category as my private photos. How do I know what is private and what isn't? I had no idea any of these photos were on here and am genuinely concerned they've been publicized. How can I delete this entire account? I don't want it and don't need it.

make my entire account private. how do I do this. This is a total invasion of privacy.

Google Photos is entirely confusing in the regard that photos shared with me in public folders are in the same category as my private photos. How do I know what is private and what isn't? I had no idea any of these photos were on here and am genuinely concerned they've been publicized. How can I delete this entire account? I don't want it and don't need it.

Answer:

Hi Concerned,

Welcome to the Google Photos Product Help Forum!

Photos are private by default.

https://support.google.com/photos/answer/6193313?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DAndroid&oco=1

(Excerpt):

Privately stored: Photos and videos backed up from your device are private unless you share them.

You can share individual image or Albums. You can see what you shared on the Sharing tab.

https://photos.google.com/u/0/sharing

To delete you account, see this post. This is very extreme. Be absolutely sure you understand what you are doing (e.g., don't have an Android or Chrome device linked to it, did not use if for https://drive.google.com/drive/ or https://contacts.google.com/ or anything else). I STRONGLY discourage you from doing this because some things would be unrecoverable.

https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/32046?hl=en

Also, be extremely careful deleting any images. The generic information is don't use the Garbage Can unless you want to delete the images ~Everywhere~.

Slow down, be careful, take small steps. If you have any images your would be heartbroken if you lost, email them to yourself or make sure you have another copy someplace. You say you are confused, if that is the case then you are at high risk of losing data if you rush to make changes.

Good luck..

Best regards, Dougsap (volunteer Google Photos user)

Answer:

Are you serious???? How long has this "Google Photo" and/or "Google Photo Sharing" been going on?? This is very scary and didn't realize by taking a photo or video I'd be storing it with GOOGLE?!?! This is MY PRIVACY!! MY RIGHT!! Very Concerned and P----- Off Royally!!

Answer:

====================End Question=====================

Question: What does the pin button do?

When you tap the tree dots at the top of an image, you'll see a "edit in" menu. Tapping on it I get …

When you tap the tree dots at the top of an image, you'll see a "edit in" menu. Tapping on it I get two options; Snapseed (photo editing) and Markup (screenshot editing). If I tap and hold either one of them, there is a new menu with a pin button. What exactly does this pin button do?

Answer:

Hi Aimár,

Welcome to the Google Photos Help Forum.

This is a bit of a guess because I don't have a modern Android device, but check this (somewhat long) video out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6VxTqCKeQg

Best regards,
Dougsap (volunteer Google Photos user)

Answer:

====================End Question=====================

Question: I'd like to know what is the storage capacity of photos for Google Photos?

Id like to know how many photos I can store in Google Photos. My settings shows 4GB left of storage …

Id like to know how many photos I can store in Google Photos. My settings shows 4GB left of storage that is highlighted, with the option to click on Unlimited Storage. I don't think that is free, but it can be highlighted and the page saves. If I click 'buy storage' I have several options, none of which are unlimited option, so I am a bit confused.

Answer:

Hi Geraldine,

Welcome to the Google Photos Product Help Forum!

>>> I'd like to know what is the storage capacity of photos for Google Photos?

From a practical standpoint (I mean dozens or possibly hundreds of Gigabytes), I believe the storage is unlimited.

I have approximately 77,000 images in Google Photos. https://one.google.com/storage shows about one GB of storage used for me, but since I have more than 12 GB of space left in my free Google Account I won't expend any effort trying to drive it to zero (via "Recover Storage" at https://photos.google.com/settings , etc.).

In theory, and I believe in fact, if your settings are correct "High Quality" images uploaded to Google Photos do not count against your free Google Account storage quota. Note: Most of my photos are now uploaded from phones, and previously I used the Desktop Uploader and "Upload" from https://photos.google.com/u/0/ I never used ~Backup & Sync~ on my computer because it seems overly complicated for my needs (everybody is different).

What does it show for you at:

https://one.google.com/storage ?

If you look at the settings in Google Photos on your mobile devices and at https://photos.google.com/u/0/settings are your settings for "High quality"?

It is probably worth trying to figure this out because once you start paying, if you are like most people inertia will set in and you will pay forever.

No matter what you do, never rely on a single copy of irreplaceable images - mistakes can be made, you can lose access to your account, etc.

Short version: It is definitely possible to have free storage without hitting a limit.

If you have follow-up questions I would be happy to try and help.

Good luck!

Best regards, Dougsap (volunteer Google Photos user)

Answer:

Small addition: for some users (like me) https://one.google.com/storage does not work yet. It just brings me to a page saying "Google One is coming soon (to your area)". If that is also the case for you please go to https://drive.google.com/settings/storage. When you click "View details" you will see what uses your storage: Gmail, Drive or Photos.

Like Doug said, when uploading with setting "High Quality" in the correct place (the app used for uploading), photos/videos should be free.

Answer:

Hi

thank you both for your replies.

"What does it show for you at: https://one.google.com/storage ?

A: I have 11GB of 15GB used up. If I scroll down on this page it shows that the 15GB comes free, then if I want to buy more storage I have several options starting at 100GB for $2.49/month etc. Which I don't really want to do as 'dougsap' stated inertia will set in and you'll be paying forever.

This is what confused me, do I have to buy storage if I want to you use Google Photos as I only have 4GB left.

Currently the details of my storage shows:

Google Drive1.17 GB
Gmail9.82 GB
Photos 0GB

"If you look at the settings in Google Photos on your mobile devices and at https://photos.google.com/u/0/settings are your settings for "High quality"?

A: Yes I do have "High Quality" setting on my MacBook Air. So is that sufficient? I wasn't able to see where on my iPhone I could find this setting, or do you just mean on my laptop?

So from your answer dougsap I am understanding that with this setting, I can upload as many photos as I want.

Thanks for the tip, I will be buying a hard drive also to keep copies of my photos.

One last thing...

' Most of my photos are now uploaded from phones'

Q: Is this done via bluetooth or a wifi connection- is that right?

Answer:

Hi Geraldine,

I strongly suspect that your photos are being counted because of the Backup & Sync settings / preferences on your computer. Again, I am not really an expert on this because I never used ~Backup & Sync~ on my computer because it seems overly complicated for my needs (everybody is different).

See this post:

https://support.google.com/photos/thread/1576292?msgid=1580720

Go slowly, take small steps, don't delete anything (if that is what you think you need to do) until you are positive that you have another copy someplace.

>>> ' Most of my photos are now uploaded from phones' Q: Is this done via bluetooth or a wifi connection- is that right?

Typically Wi-Fi (but could use Cellular Data depending on Backup & Sync settings on the phone, most people probably don't do this).

Best regards, Dougsap

Answer:

Hi Geraldine,

>>> Why do you say you suspect my photos are being counted ?

That 9.82 is towards the free 15GB.

So sorry, you are correct! I misread it because of preconceptions (and multitasking)!

Like Rinus says, you have some gmail clean-up to do. This might help:

https://www.labnol.org/internet/gmail-size-search/26669/

E.g., search in gmail for ~size:5MB (or even size:20MB or size:50MB if you find too much with size:5MB).

Best regards, Dougsap

Answer:

The 1 GB on Drive is not relevant: random files stored there - maybe attached to gmails originally.

But I would suggest Geraldine to clear-up their Gmail from many years merely.

Select All mail in the left column (maybe under More), then select the oldest 50 right-up and then select all at left and then select trash. Etc. etc. until you reach Januar 1, 2018 if you want to keep one year.

Thereafter you can clean the trash and then your total usage will be below 5 GB for years ahead.

Answer:

Remark

If cleaning-up Gmail is heartbreaking, you can download your mail via https://takeout.google.com/settings/takeout for Mail only and then you even can select which labels are most important for you (if ever labelled).

Thereafter you can start cleaning :-)

This is a quite normal usage (with a lot on Photos and in Drive, but merely with zero usage like Google Docs).

Good luck

Answer:

====================End Question=====================

Question: Incorrect date on photos uploaded, even though EXIF data is correct

Hello all, I am having an issue with photos that are being uploaded from my Nikon D3400, to Google P…

Hello all,

I am having an issue with photos that are being uploaded from my Nikon D3400, to Google Photos.. My current workflow is D3400 shoots the image, it gets transferred instantly to my phone via their Snapbridge App, which put it in my photos on my Google Pixel, which then auto uploaded to Google Photos once I connect to wifi..

When I look at the EXIF data on the camera, the time/date is correct. When I look at the EXIF data on the Snapbridge app, the time/date is correct, but when I check the uploaded photos in Google Photos, they are off. They are all off by 3 hours, all three hours behind. So, if I took the picture at 3pm, they all say 12pm in Google Photos.. All photos do have GPS data, which was recorded by my phone (it syncs with the camera as soon as they are taken via the Snapbridge app). I confirmed, all 3 platforms are currently set to the same time, and time zone. The camera, phone, and Google Photos are all set to Eastern Time, which is where all photos were both taken and uploaded.

TL;DR - all Photos uploaded from my D3400 to Google Photos are off by 3 hours EXACTLY, almost like there is a time zone issue..

Any thoughts?

Answer:

Hi Mike, I have been collating time zone reports for Google, but we haven't had any updates so I am afraid you will have to live with it for now. I asume the GPS data is getting through to https://photos.google.com/ and showing up correctly when you view the (i)nfo page.

Please use the feedback option on the Pixel with a title - TIME ZONE BUG followed by a brief explanation and include logs.

Any Me Toos, please use the same starting words in capitals it will show up better of the feedback report. You can see an example of the report format at https://www.google.com/tools/feedback/reports

Regards,

Peter

Answer:

Yes, you are correct, all GPS data is pulled over 100% properly..

I will give "Send Feedback" thing a shot on the phone and see what comes of it.. Thanks for the suggestion.

Answer:

Not necessarily, it's just that the phone feedback includes logs which may show something to the engineers. It should give the starting state as a reference.

Answer:

====================End Question=====================

Question: All labels have vanished

All labels in iOS have vanished. I updated app to the latest version. Then I have also updated iOS t…

All labels in iOS have vanished. I updated app to the latest version. Then I have also updated iOS to the latest build. Still no labels.

Answer:

Hi Hrvoje Bielen,

What is your primary language in your phone?

If your primary language is not english, please change it to English and check Google Photos again.

Answer:

Thank you. My labels returned.

But this is not a solution.

I had my language (Croatian) as a default for last 5-6 years, and all worked well until one week ago or so.

Answer:

Great to hear that it is working fine.

I thought your issue is related to https://support.google.com/photos/thread/15592792?msgid=15592792 this.

Answer:

====================End Question=====================

Question: Can you help me?

Hi there,

Google photos help community only handles Google Photos related issue and your question is related to Google Drive. So I recommend you to use https://support.google.com/drive.

https://support.google.com/drive/thread/11085102?msgid=11094432 this answer may help you.

Answer:

As Barry explained we only help with Google Photos, however I believe Google Drive may be able to recover deleted files. Go to Google Drive help and click on contact us.Then select Missing or deleted files

Answer:

====================End Question=====================

Question: 360 photos on mobile app are being compressed into 180 degrees of visibility.

Viewing the same photo on the desktop view causes the photos to appear normally. When viewing the ph…

Viewing the same photo on the desktop view causes the photos to appear normally. When viewing the photos on the iOS app (iPhone 6, iOS 11), the photos are compressed into 180 degrees, with grey filling the other portion.

Answer:

Hello all,

Thanks for posting in the Google Photos Support Community.

@Irfan - Could you please elaborate the issue or your query for me to assist you better?

@Paltiel - In Google Photos, if you launch the Menu (three short horizontal bars near upper left-hand corner of screen) and Select Settings, you will see a choice between High Quality resolution and Original resolution. If High Quality is selected, Google Photos will reduce the size of original images (with large pixel dimensions) but these backups will not count against your Google storage limit. If Original is selected there will be no reduction, but the uploads might take longer and the images will count against your storage limit. This said, I don't believe there is anything that can be done about already backed up images at less than original resolution now deleted from your phone. Hope this helps.

Let me know if you have any questions.

Regards,

Amanda

Answer:

@Amanda, thank you for your reply. Unfortunately, your response does not addresss my concern. In the 360 photo here (https://photos.app.goo.gl/GdeVqtwW881dbjRz9), when viewed from the iOS Google Photos app, I see 180 degrees of grey. This is highlighted with screenshots here (https://photos.app.goo.gl/TrwpkjvPRymGKg5w7). The screenshots are taken 180 degrees from each other, even though it looks like the screenshots are side by side.

When I view the same photo from the website, and not via the mobile app, the same photo renders correctly without issue. I can see the photo properly via chrome on iOS, but not with the native client, as seen in this screenshot here (https://photos.app.goo.gl/1Na99GLSMJEY6cnf8).

Same photo, different clients. Behavior is abnormal in one, correct in another.

Answer:

====================End Question=====================

Question: How can I post my pictures in Google Photos to my Facebook page that I manage through Pages Manager?

I need to respond to PMs and make posts to my photo albums on my shop's FB page that I manage, but I…

I need to respond to PMs and make posts to my photo albums on my shop's FB page that I manage, but I don't see an option, only FB and not Pages Manager.

Answer:

Hello Darla,

Welcome to the Google Photos Help Community.

Unfortunately, there isn't any direct way to post your pictures from Google Photos to your Facebook page that you manage through Pages Manager. However, contacting Facebook support team would be the best option as we might be of a little help as this is beyond our scope of support and this forum focuses on Google Photos and its related issues.

Also, just to let you know that you can share a photo, album, or movie on Facebook or other apps:

On your Android phone or tablet, open the Google Photos app .
Select a photo, album, or movie to share.
Tap Share .
Select an app to share to. Slide up to see more apps. You can also send a link.

Note: Anyone who has the link can see the album.

Let me know if you have any other questions.

Best,

Sonya

Answer:

====================End Question=====================

Question: How to upload a web album with captions/text into Google Photos so I can make a link

Upload and make a web album link in Google Photos

Hi Don,

Thanks for posting on the Google Photos Help Community.

Please know that, a web album with captions (created using a third party application) can't be uploaded to Google Photos. However, you may upload all the photos from this web album and create a new album in Google Photos by following these steps:

On your computer, open photos.google.com.
Sign in to your Google Account.
On a photo, click Select .
Choose other photos that you want in your album.
At the top, click Add .
Select Album New album
Optional: Add a title to your new album.
Click Done .

After creating an album, you may also share this albums using a link by following these steps:

On your computer, open photos.google.com.
Place your cursor over a photo or video and click Select . You can also select other items, or open an album or movie.
Click Share .
Send a link or select an app to share.

Note: Anyone who has the link can see the album.

You may also visit this help article for information on how to Share photos & videos.

Let us know if you have any additional questions.

Best,

Nadia

Answer:

Hi Don,

Thanks for posting on the Google Photos Help Community.

On your computer, open photos.google.com.
Sign in to your Google Account.
On a photo, click Select .
Choose other photos that you want in your album.
At the top, click Add .
Select Album New album
Optional: Add a title to your new album.
Click Done .

After creating an album, you may also share this albums using a link by following these steps:

On your computer, open photos.google.com.
Place your cursor over a photo or video and click Select . You can also select other items, or open an album or movie.
Click Share .
Send a link or select an app to share.

Note: Anyone who has the link can see the album.

You may also visit this help article for information on how to Share photos & videos.

Let us know if you have any additional questions.

Best,

Nadia

Answer:

====================End Question=====================

Question: How can I stop sharing my photos and download them all from my last 3or more devices that are lost

Stop sharing my photos with a partner and download them to my device

Hi there,

To stop sharing a normal album: ( https://support.google.com/photos/answer/6280921?hl=en&ref_topic=6128855&co=GENIE.Platform%3DAndroid&oco=1 )

On your Android phone or tablet, open the Google Photos app .
Tap Sharing.
Open an album.
In the top right, tap More Options.
Turn off Share.
Tap Stop sharing or Delete.

Note: If someone already downloaded or copied photos or videos you shared, turning off sharing will not delete those downloads or copies.

To Remove partner: ( https://support.google.com/photos/answer/7378858?co=GENIE.Platform%3DAndroid&oco=1#stop_partner_sharing )

If you remove your partner, it will stop sharing your library to your partner. It will also stop your partner from sharing their library with you, but it won't remove any photos that you've saved to your Google Photos library.

On your Android phone or tablet, open the Google Photos app .
Sign in with the Google Account that was invited.
At the bottom right, tap Sharing .
Above "Shared library," tap your partner's name. Then, tap More Shared library settings Remove partner Remove.

Save a photo or video: ( https://support.google.com/photos/answer/7652919?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DAndroid&oco=1 )

On your Android phone or tablet, open the Google Photos app .
Select all photos and videos you want to download.
Tap More Save to device. If the photo is already on your device, this option won't appear.

Answer:

In addition to what Barry said, if you want to download ALL your photos, Google Takeout is the best way to do it. This will create many folders (some may even be empty) but it will be faster/easier than selecting and downloading photos from the Google Photos website

Answer:

====================End Question=====================

Question: is that the 2020 same as the year before thats that exis in the future

create new space that contains dimension

Hi there,

Welcome to the Google Photos Help Community.

To assist you better, could you please elaborate the post with a few more details and help me understand what is the exact issue so that I'll be able to address the issue with the best possible solution?

Keep me posted.

Best,

Sonya

Answer:

====================End Question=====================

Question: Large part of library has no thumbnails/photos only "gray frames" - in browser view

They cannot be "clicked" - and they are really a LOT of them. I recently switched a computer that ha…

They cannot be "clicked" - and they are really a LOT of them. I recently switched a computer that has installed "google backup and sync" application (it is a Mac) and it took a week to sync all. Note: I have selected to sync only the default photo library on mac, and disabled the options to sync RAW photos or metadata. This seems like some error after the sync... I would appreciate any help.

Answer:

That behavior is absurd, but normal if you did delete enormous amounts on photos.google.com or if still a lot of metadata is uploaded which can't be shown (face-thumbnails perhaps).

Hard to analyse because Macs hardly have good support here (no Google either).

But what is on top not shown: recent stuff or also very old? Move the mouse to the right border to see the calendar.

Answer:

Do you also use the app? if so, do the images show up there?

Try another browser or a private/incognito session to see if you see the same thing.

Answer:

====================End Question=====================

Question: Google Photos - Videos give "Invalid Parameters" on multiple browsers

I've tried reading posts on this to no avail. I have several videos uploaded to Google Photos. For a…

I've tried reading posts on this to no avail.

I have several videos uploaded to Google Photos. For a long time I have had intermittent problems with Videos but now it seems to be almost ALL videos. Videos are taken on my Pixel or shared from another device, same result. I have tried in Chrome, with and without Incognito; I have disabled Adblock; I have tried Firefox and MS Edge as well. All give the same static-y screen saying "Invalid Parameters" but no parameters are actually shown to try to debug this.

I can successfully download the video and play locally.

This is on Win10. All browsers, as mentioned, and all latest updates applied to both Windows and the browsers. In Chrome Developer tool, the console output is fairly useless (to me) but attached.

Thank you for any additional suggestions. Very frustrating.

Answer:

Hi Jack,

Thanks for posting on the Google Photos Help Community.

I certainly understand your concern as you're experiencing issues while playing videos on Google Photos web version. As you're able to play videos after downloading them to your device, please help us with a sample video so that we can look into this further.

Also, please try accessing videos on your account using a different device.

Keep me posted.

Best,

Nadia

Answer:

I can't share my videos. The "shareable" link only leads to a screen that says Invalid Parameters. I've been sharing videos on google drive for years, I even pay for extra storage. This needs to be fixed soon for my work.

Answer:

Same issue, can't play filebin a browser from shared link, it looks like it's trying to play it through a YouTube player (play arrow button turns red and there's a grey YouTube icon in bottom left corner)

Answer:

"shareable" link only leads to a screen that says Invalid Parameters. I have shared vids like this for forever and I pay for extra storage. This needs to be fixed soon for my work and leisure. Get on it Google!

Answer:

for all having this problem,just check your AD blocker or any other plugin if it blocks anything like referer in request header,it works on firefox after i set pravicy possum not to block the referer header on drive.google.com

Answer:

====================End Question=====================

Question: How do I edit auto created movies and slide shows? They are great except for rotated photos

When I open the auto creation folders I don't see any options boxes or gears. Most movies have a cli…

When I open the auto creation folders I don't see any options boxes or gears. Most movies have a clip with the wrong date and most slide shows include an image or 2 that needs rotated. Also, the music selections aren't to my liking. I love the concept though of automated AI creating presentations, it just seems to be pointing out where Google has misinterpreted or lost metadata on import.

Answer:

Hello Chad,

Welcome to the Google Photos Help Community.

Just to let you know that there isn't any option to edit your movie. However, you can do this on your device:

On your movie, tap Edit

Change music: Tap Music .
Reorder and remove clips:
- Tap and hold a clip to drag it to a different order.
- On the clip you want to remove, tap More Remove.

When you're done, tap Save.

Let me know if you have any questions.

Best,

Sonya

Answer:

Hey Sharon,

I completely understand where you're coming from. Like I mentioned, the above this feature is available in the Google Photos app and not in the Web version of Google Photos. However, we really appreciate leaving feedback for the development team as this is a best way to see new features and changes rolled out in future versions of Google Photos. If there are any other improvements or ideas you've about Google Photos, you can always leave them under Help & Feedback and they will reach the developers directly:

Open the Google Photos app on a mobile device or go to photos.google.com using a computer.
At the top left, touch or click the menu icon > Help & Feedback.
Touch or click Feedback. You can tell us things like:

What you like or dislike about the app.
Things that are confusing or don't work.

Also, it helps us understand your feedback if you check the box to include screenshots and logs.

Let me know if you've any other questions.

Best,

Sonya

Answer:

====================End Question=====================

Question: Will archived photos be included in an upload to a shared computer?

It's really two questions: I've run out of storage on my phone, time to upload photos to a shared co…

It's really two questions: I've run out of storage on my phone, time to upload photos to a shared computer but I want to ensure that some photos remain private. I have archived photos in Google Photos taken with my phone.

Other photos shared with me I'm unable to Archive and keep them off of my Recent Drive Dashboard. I created a folder in Google Drive for these photos so that thumbnails do not appear in Recent but then they are no longer in Archive.

Answer:

Hi there,

Thanks for posting on the Google Photos Help Community.

I'd like to let you know that, all the photos backed up and shared to your account will also be backed up to the 'Google Photos' folder under 'My Drive' before you archive them. Also, could you please let us know the procedure you're going to follow while uploading photos to a shared computer?

Alternatively, you may use Google Photos to delete backed-up photos to save space on your phone. Please visit this help center article for more information on how to free up space on your device.

Keep me posted.

Best,

Nadia

Answer:

Thank you Nadia, the photos will be uploaded to a network-attached storage (NAS). Unfortunately your answer has made me more confused.

I do not intend on archiving all of my photos. I have sent to Archive select photos that I wish to keep personal/private and not shared on Google Photos or the NAS. Will Archived photos download to the NAS?

Answer:

Hi there,

Thanks for the detailed response.

Apologies for the confusion. I understand you don't want the selected archived photos to be shared on Google Photos or the NAS. Please know that, archived photos on Google Photos won't be shared anywhere unless you manually share them.

However, to know if the photos will be shared on the NAS, please let us know how exactly are you trying to download your Google Photos to a network-attached storage.

Keep me posted.

Best,

Nadia

Answer:

====================End Question=====================

Question: Why can't I play videos from the cloud on my device?

Tried clearing cache and restarting

Hi cajuncatholic 79,

are the videos in Google Photos? Do they play correctly on the photos.google.com website using a computer?

Google photo QA

Tuesday, May 3, 2022

Backup & Sync / Google Photos

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