How to use Google Photos to back up pictures

Edited 1 hour ago by ExtremeHow Editorial Team

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In this article, we will explain how to use Google Photos to back up your photos. Google Photos is a popular service offered by Google that allows users to store and organize their photos and videos on the cloud. It provides an easy and secure way to protect your precious memories. This guide will show you the steps to set up and use Google Photos effectively.

1. Getting started with Google Photos

Before you can back up your photos, you need to have a Google account. If you already have an account, you're halfway there. If not, follow these steps to create a Google account:

• Go to the Google sign-up page.
• Enter your first and last name in the corresponding fields.
• Choose a username and password. Make sure the password is strong and secure.
• Fill in the required personal information such as phone number, recovery email, and date of birth.
• Agree to the Terms and Conditions and click the “Next” button.

Once you have a Google account, you can start using Google Photos.

2. Downloading and installing Google Photos

Google Photos is available on multiple platforms, including Android, iOS, and web browsers. Follow these steps to download and install Google Photos on your device:

For Android:

• Open the Google Play Store on your Android device.
• Search for "Google Photos."
• Tap “Install” to download and install the app.

For iOS:

• Open the App Store on your iOS device.
• Search for "Google Photos."
• Tap “Get” to download and install the app.

For web browser:

• Open your favorite web browser.
• Go to photos.google.com.
• Sign in with your Google Account.

3. Setting up Google Photos for backup

After you install Google Photos, you need to set it up to back up your photos. Follow these steps to configure backup settings:

For mobile devices (Android and iOS):

• Open the Google Photos app on your mobile device.
• Sign in with your Google account if you haven't done so yet.
• Tap your profile picture in the top right corner of the screen.
• Select "Photo Settings" from the menu.
• Tap "Back up & sync."
• Turn on the "Back up & sync" toggle switch.
• Choose the upload size for your photos and videos. You can choose "High quality" (reduces file size without significant loss in quality) or "Original quality" (backs up photos and videos in their original resolution).
• Select the folders you want to back up. You can also choose to back up photos and videos using only Wi-Fi or mobile data.

For web browser:

• Open your web browser and go to photos.google.com.
• Sign in with your Google Account.
• Click the "Upload" button in the upper right corner of the screen. It looks like an upward arrow inside a cloud.
• Select the photos and videos you want to back up from your computer.

4. Organizing and managing your photos

Google Photos offers several features to help you organize and manage your photos and videos:

Album:

• Create albums to group similar photos together. For example, you can create an album for a holiday, party, or a special event.
• To create an album, tap the "Albums" tab, then tap the "Create Album" button. Give your album a name and add photos to it.

Search:

• Google Photos has a powerful search function that allows you to find photos quickly. You can also search by date, location, or objects in the photo.
• To search for photos, tap the search bar at the top of the screen and type your question.

Assistant:

• The Google Photos Assistant provides suggestions for creating albums, collages, animations, and movies based on your photos.
• To see Assistant suggestions, tap the "Assistant" tab at the bottom of the screen.

5. Photo and video sharing

Google Photos makes it easy to share your photos and videos with friends and family. Follow these steps to share your photos:

For mobile devices (Android and iOS):

• Open the Google Photos app and select the photos or videos you want to share.
• Tap the "Share" icon, which looks like three connected dots.
• Choose how you want to share the photo. You can share via link, social media, email, or other apps installed on your device.

For web browser:

• Open your web browser and go to photos.google.com.
• Sign in with your Google Account.
• Select the photos or videos you want to share.
• Click the "Share" button, which looks like an arrow pointing to the right.
• Choose how you want to share the photo. You can share via link, social media, email, or other services.

6. Access photos from different devices

One of the advantages of Google Photos is that you can access your photos and videos from any device using your Google account. Here are the steps to access your photos from different devices:

For mobile devices (Android and iOS):

• Install the Google Photos app on your mobile device.
• Sign in with your Google Account.
• Your backed up photos and videos will remain available in the app.

For web browser:

• Open your web browser and go to photos.google.com.
• Sign in with your Google Account.
• Your backed up photos and videos will be available on the web interface.

7. Freeing up space on your device

Google Photos offers a "Free up space" feature that helps you free up storage on your device by deleting photos and videos that are already backed up to the cloud. Here's how to use this feature:

For mobile devices (Android and iOS):

• Open the Google Photos app.
• Tap your profile picture in the top right corner.
• Select "Photo Settings."
• Tap "Free up space."
• Google Photos will show you how much space can be freed up. Confirm by tapping the "Free up" button.

8. Storage Management

Google Photos offers 15GB of free storage, which is shared across Google Drive and Gmail. If you need more space, you can upgrade to Google One, a subscription service that offers additional storage. Here's how to manage your storage:

• Go to the Google One website at one.google.com.
• Sign in with your Google Account.
• Choose the storage plan that suits your needs and follow the instructions to upgrade.

9. Editing photos and videos

Google Photos includes basic editing tools to improve your photos and videos:

For mobile devices (Android and iOS):

• Open the Google Photos app and select the photo or video you want to edit.
• Tap the Edit icon, which looks like a pencil.
• Use the available tools to adjust brightness, contrast, saturation, and more.
• When you're satisfied with the edits, tap "Save" to apply the changes.

For web browser:

• Open your web browser and go to photos.google.com.
• Sign in with your Google Account.
• Select the photo or video you want to edit.
• Click the Edit icon, which looks like a pencil.
• Use the available tools to adjust brightness, contrast, saturation, and more.
• Click "Save" to apply the changes.

10. Deleting photos and videos

If you want to delete photos and videos from Google Photos, follow these steps:

For mobile devices (Android and iOS):

• Open the Google Photos app.
• Select the photos or videos you want to delete.
• Tap the Trash icon, which resembles a trash can.
• Confirm the deletion by tapping "Move to Trash."

For web browser:

• Open your web browser and go to photos.google.com.
• Sign in with your Google Account.
• Select the photos or videos you want to delete.
• Click the Trash icon, which resembles a trash can.
• Confirm the deletion by clicking "Move to Trash".

11. Recover deleted photos and videos

If you accidentally delete a photo or video, you can recover it from the trash within 60 days. Here's how:

For mobile devices (Android and iOS):

• Open the Google Photos app.
• Tap the menu icon in the top left corner, which looks like three horizontal lines.
• Select "Trash."
• Select the photos or videos you want to recover.
• Tap the Restore icon, which looks like a circular arrow.

For web browser:

• Open your web browser and go to photos.google.com.
• Sign in with your Google Account.
• Click the menu icon in the upper left corner, which looks like three horizontal lines.
• Select "Trash."
• Select the photos or videos you want to recover.
• Click the Restore icon, which looks like a circular arrow.

12. Using the Google Photos Assistant

Google Photos Assistant can help you create albums, collages, animations, and movies from your photos. Here's how to use it:

For mobile devices (Android and iOS):

• Open the Google Photos app and tap the “Assistant” tab at the bottom of the screen.
• Review the suggestions provided by the assistant.
• Tap a suggestion to view and customize it.
• Save the asset to your library.

For web browser:

• Open your web browser and go to photos.google.com.
• Sign in with your Google Account.
• Click the "Assistant" tab on the left side of the screen.
• Review the suggestions provided by the assistant.
• Click a suggestion to view and customize it.
• Save the asset to your library.

13. Conclusion

Google Photos is a powerful tool for backing up, organizing, and sharing your photos and videos. With its easy-to-use interface and great features, it helps you keep your memories safe and access them from any device. By following the steps in this guide, you can efficiently back up your photos and get the most out of Google Photos.

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