GOOGLE PHOTOS

1.INTRODUCTION TO GOOGLE PHOTOS?

Google Photos is a photo sharing and storage service developed by Google. It was
announced in May 2015 and spun off from Google+, the company's former social network.

As of June 1, 2021, in its free tier, any newly uploaded photo and video counts towards the 15
GB free storage quota shared across the user's Google services,[4] with the exception of
current Pixel phones. The previous free tier, unlimited photos and videos up to
16 megapixels and 1080p resolution respectively (anything larger gets down-scaled to these
sizes), ended on the same day.

The service automatically analyzes photos, identifying various visual features and
subjects. Users can search for anything in photos, with the service returning results from three
major categories: People, Places, and Things. The computer vision of Google Photos
recognizes faces (not only those of humans, but pets as well), grouping similar ones together
(this feature is only available in certain countries due to privacy laws); geographic landmarks
(such as the Eiffel Tower); and subject matter, including birthdays, buildings, animals, food,
and more.

Different forms of machine learning in the Photos service allow recognition of photo
contents, automatically generate albums, animate similar photos into quick videos, surface past
memories at significant times, and improve the quality of photos and videos. In May 2017,
Google announced several updates to Google Photos, including reminders for and suggested
sharing of photos, shared photo libraries between two users, and physical albums. Photos
automatically suggested collections based on face, location, trip, or other distinction.

Google Photos received critical acclaim after its decoupling from Google+ in 2015.
Reviewers praised the updated Photos service for its recognition technology, search, apps, and
loading times. Nevertheless, privacy concerns were raised, including Google's motivation for
building the service, as well as its relationship to governments and possible laws requiring
Google to hand over a user's entire photo history. Google Photos has seen strong user adoption.
It reached 100 million users after five months, 200 million after one year, 500 million after two
years, and passed the 1 billion user mark in 2019, four years after its initial launch. Google
reports as of 2020, approximately 28 billion photos and videos are uploaded to the service
every week, and more than 4 trillion photos are stored in the service total.

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2.SET UP GOOGLE DRIVE FOR DESKTOP

1. On your computer, download and install Google Drive for Desktop.
2. Sign in to your Google Account.
3. Select the folders or pictures you want to back up Back up to Google Photos.
4. Select Done Save.
Important:
• If you remove a photo or video from your computer that you previously backed up to
Google Photos, it stays in Google Photos.
• If you remove a photo or video from Google Photos, it isn't removed from Google
Drive or your computer.
• Uploads can be slower and use more storage if you back up to both Google Photos and
Google Drive.
• Unless you need a second copy in Drive, we recommend you back up photos and
videos to Google Photos.

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➢ There are 2 ways to back up your phone, camera, or storage card from
your computer:
1. Install Backup and Sync.
2. Upload photos from your browser.
Back up photos & videos
About back up and sync:
Back up and sync is a storage service that automatically saves your photos and
videos to your Google Account. These photos and videos will be accessible from any device
where you are logged into your account.

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➢ Why we need Backup?

• Good internet connection.
• File sizes that can be backed up.
Your files won’t be backed up if they are:
• Photos larger than 200 MB or 150 MP
• Videos larger than 10 GB.
• Items smaller than 256 x 256.
➢ File types that can be backed up.
• Photos: .jpg, .heic, .png, .webp, .gif, and some RAW files.
Live photos can be backed up if you use the Google Photos app on your iPhone or
iPad.
• Videos: .mpg, .mod, .mmv, .tod, .wmv, .asf, .avi, .divx, .mov, .m4v, .3gp, .3g2,
.mp4, .m2t, .m2ts, .mts, and .mkv files.
If you try to back up a file type not listed here, it may not work with Google Photos.
Important: Your Google Account storage is shared across multiple products like Google
Photos, Google Drive, and Gmail. If you have used all of your storage, you won't be able to
back up new files.
➢ View where your photos & videos were uploaded from
In Google Photos, you can view how you uploaded your photos and videos.
1. On your computer, open photos.google.com.
2. Click a photo or video.
3. At the top right, click Info .
4. Next to File upload , you’ll find which source uploaded your photo or video. For
example, "Uploaded from Android device" or "Uploaded from Google Drive."
• File upload won’t show if we don’t know the upload source.

➢ Check a photo's backup status & upload size

1. On your computer, open photos.google.com.
2. Click a photo or video.
3. At the top right, click Info .
4. Under Backed up , the backup status and size of your photo or video displays.

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3.HOW DOES GOOGLE PHOTOS WORK?

Powered by AI goodness, Google Photos is arguably the most easy-to-use photo/video
sharing and storage service on the planet. Since being introduced as a standalone service in
2015, Google Photos has acquired over a billion users and it continues to grow steadily.
Google Photos recently discontinued its “unlimited photo storage for all,” making it exclusive
to Pixel devices only. However, even this major change has not turned people away, as they
simply cannot imagine life without the simplicity of Google Photos.
Today, we will take a closer look at the service and tell you how all of it works. Now without
further ado, let us get to it!
3.1 How does photo backup work in Google Photos in 2021?
Photo backup in Google Photos has changed in the last couple of months. Before June
1st, 2021, Google Photos used to offer unlimited ‘High quality’ backups to all Google Photos
app users.
Now, only Pixel users are entitled to the free service, while others would have to count on their
shared Google Storage to save the files. If you do not have a Pixel device, every photo you save
will count against your free 15 GB storage.

Google Photos’ backup service is not any different from any other cloud-based backup service.
Your Google Photos account is linked to Google Drive. When you open the app, the Photos
goes through your mobile phone gallery or other folders and uploads the photos and videos to
the cloud. This makes the photos and videos accessible from anywhere on earth.
If you run out of Google Drive space on your non-Pixel smartphone, you will either
have to purchase a Google One subscription or risk not backing up your photos.
3.2 How does search work in Google Photos?
Google Photos uses machine learning and artificial intelligence to make life easier for
its users. And the search function is a direct byproduct of the two. Google Photos scan each

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image that is being uploaded and adds relevant tags to them. Thanks to these tags, you can
easily search photos and access them whenever you need to.
For example, if you upload a photo of a sunset with friends, Google Photos might tag it as
“Sunset,” “Nature,” “Orange,” “People,” and more.

So, when you search for any of the aforementioned terms, Google Photos will bring that photo
up. It is arguably the easiest way to look up old photos. You can also search for photos by
entering the date they were taken. Since Google Photos keeps your newest photos at the top, it
is easy to navigate through your library.
3.3 How does face recognition work in Google Photos?
Face recognition has been around in Google Photos for a while now. However, not
many were comfortably turning it on. Now that more and more people have turned it on, photo
sharing and recognizing have become easier than ever.
Google Photos has been trained to recognize faces in photos. So, if you have a group picture
with little to no distortions, Google Photos should be able to distinguish all the faces your photo
has. Also, you can select your image from the pile of recognized faces to make life a little easier
for Google Photos. When you identify your face from the pile, Google Photos creates a private
space with all your photos in it.

Google Photos’ face recognition is called face grouping and is an opt-in feature. Once you
enable it, Google starts grouping identical faces. You can, of course, name the faces in your
photos, which would improve your search results.

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After you turn the ‘Face grouping’ feature on, Google Photos scans the photos, picks a
thumbnail for the photo group, and finally, stacks them in ascending order. You can even also
turn off Face recognition features if you feel like it. That way, Google will have no way of
knowing who you really are.
3.4 How do editing tools work in Google Photos?
For those unaware, Google Photos comes with a respectable set of editing tools. These
tools can help you perform quick edits, especially when you do not want to go through the
hassle of navigating a full-fledged editing suite. The ‘Edit’ button appears at the bottom of the
screen and allows you to use crop function, apply filters, and more.
The edit section in Google Photos is unmistakably powered by Snapseed. So, if you are already
familiar with the Snapseed app, you will be right at home. Of course, Google Photos editing is
meant for simplicity. So, do not expect to perform full-fledged detailed editing on here.

The editing tools in Google Photos are at their best with a Google One subscription. If you do
not have Google One, you will have to stay satisfied without some key filters and presets.
Getting a Google One subscription will unlock these filters and effects right away.
3.5 How does sharing work in Photos?
As you may have seen already, Google Photos has extensive sharing options. Not only
can you share your photos with people on the Google Photos app, but you can also share with

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outsiders using link sharing. If that was not enough, you can even compose emails with the sole
purpose of sharing the link.

When someone clicks on the link, they are taken to the photos, videos, or album you are trying
to share. If they have trouble opening the link, chances are, appropriate permissions have not
been granted. Make sure you are sharing with the right audience before you hit the share
button.

4.HOW DOES MEMORIES WORK IN GOOGLE PHOTOS?

Over the last few years, almost all social networking or photo sharing services have
been implementing a feature called Memories. This super popular feature takes you on a trip
down the memory lane, showing you images from last year, the year before that, or further
back. For example, a Memory reel on the 22nd of September 2021 might show you an image
from a couple of years back -22nd September 2019 for example. After you exhaust the current
reel, it might even take you further back and show you highlights from that particular week.

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Memories in Google Photos focuses on the metadata of the images you upload. If your images
do not have metadata, they will not show up in memories.
Frequently Asked Questions:
➢ Do photos stay in Google Photos after you delete them from your phone?
Google Photos is excellent at keeping photos in memory after you have removed them
from your device. So, once you complete your Google Photos backup, you can freely delete
photos and videos from your mobile. Interestingly, Google Photos even gives you an option to
delete the backed-up photos at once.
➢ Is it safe to use Google Photos?
Google Photos is the most popular photo backup and storage service out there. And
while Google calls it completely safe, many users are not happy with the amount of data Photos
collects off of your images. Through metadata of your photos, Google Photos can identify
where your photo was taken, when it was taken, and even who you were with.
Google Promises that it does not use your data for advertisement and other promotional
purposes. However, the fact that it collects some necessary information is not reassuring. If
you are not paranoid about privacy and do not store extremely private photos on Google Photos,
you can freely use Google Photos for day-to-day photo uploads.
➢ Do photos backed up in Google Photos stay forever?
Once you upload your photos to the Google server, your photos become accessible from
any part of the globe. So, if you do not stop logging into your Gmail account, your Google
Photos account will also stay active. However, if you stop accessing your Gmail account, not
logging in for 24 months or 2 years, Google will consider your account inactive. To free up
space for other users, Google will consider deleting your account but not before sending you a
text telling you about it.If you still do not act, it will delete all photos, emails, and more in your
Google account.

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➢ How does Google Photos storage work?

Google Photos offered unlimited free storage to all users for five years. However, since
June 1st, 2021, it has made the unlimited photo storage service to existing Pixel devices (up to
Pixel 5). If you are a non-Pixel user, every photo you upload would count against your free
15GB Google storage. If you run out of storage, you can subscribe to Google One for up to
2TB of storage. Plans start at $1.99 per month and go all the way up to $9.99 per month.
➢ Can anyone see your Google Photos?
No, no one except you is allowed to see your private Google Photos. You can, of course,
choose to share specific photos, create a partner account, and more. In that case, only people
you share the link with can see your photos. However, be warned that if your link goes public
for some reason, you might have a hard time containing the exposure.
➢ Is it worth paying for Google Photos?
Firstly, Google Photos does not charge you anything for the service alone. Until the 1st
of June 2021, it even used to offer unlimited free storage. Now, it has reduced the storage to
15GB for non-Pixel phone users. However, even that is not the worst deal out there, since 15GB
of storage can last up to three years if you opt for the ‘Storage saver’ option.
If you love keeping your photos backed up for superfast access, splashing extra for
additional storage is completely worth it. Paid tier starts at $1.99/month for 100GB and goes
all the way up to $9.99/month for 2TB. You can get better deals if you choose to splash extra
for annual packages.
➢ How does Google Photos work on Android or iOS?
Google Photos’ Android and iOS apps are as versatile as their web counterpart. You
can store photos and videos, share them, and use Google Lens for enhanced photo scanning.
To top it off, Google Photos is very straightforward to use. This means that your Google Photos
journey starts as soon as you download the application and launch it on your mobile.

5.ADVANTAGES:
• Never lose a memory: Any photos you take from a device with backup enabled will
be saved to your Google Account.
• Automatic sync: Any edits you make or photos you take will be accessible across any
device that you sign in to. If you edit and save a photo on your phone, the photo will
look the same on Google Photos.

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• Fast and powerful search: You can search your photos by the people (when you've
enabled face grouping), places, and things in them. No tagging is required.
• Automatic creations: Bring photos to life with automatically created movies,
collages, animations, and panoramas.

6.CONCLUSION
All in all, Google Photos is a perfect app that can store, edit, and upload your photos to
a backed-up database within minutes. If you still have not mastered this app, chances are you
never noticed it in the “Google” folder. However, we provide the latest APK of this file right
on this page, and if you wish to get this app right now, please click the download link located
on this page, and follow the instructions.

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REFERENCES

[1] "Google Photos". APKMirror. Android Police. April 30, 2022.

[2] "Google Photos". APKMirror. Android Police. March 29, 2021. Retrieved March 29, 2021.
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[5] Porter, Jon (July 24, 2019). "Google Photos passes the 1 billion users mark". The Verge.
Retrieved November 11, 2020.
[6] Jump up to:a b c d e f g h Kastrenakes, Jacob (May 14, 2005). "Google announces unlimited
picture and video storage with new Photos app". The Verge. Vox Media. Archived from the
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[7] Jump up to:a b c d e Lowensohn, Josh (May 28, 2015). "Hands-on with Google's new Photos
service". The Verge. Vox Media. Retrieved February 4, 2017.
[8] Jump up to:a b c d e f g h i j k l m Mossberg, Walt (June 2, 2015). "The New Google Photos:
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[9] Gallagher, James (December 10, 2015). "Shared memories made easy with Google
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[10] Boehret, Katherine (December 10, 2015). "Google Photos' new shared albums aren't
designed for a social world". The Verge. Vox Media. Retrieved February 6, 2017.
[11] Kastrenakes, Jacob (June 28, 2017). "Google Photos' new sharing features are starting
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[12] Perez, Sarah (June 28, 2017). "Google Photos adds smarter sharing, suggestions and
shared libraries". TechCrunch. AOL. Retrieved June 28, 2017.
[13] "Create and edit photo albums - Computer - Google Photos
Help". support.google.com. Retrieved December 20, 2018.
[14] "Google Photos adds a time-traveling version of Stories, plus more sharing and printing
options". TechCrunch. Retrieved September 12, 2019.
[15] Monckton, Paul. "Google Photos Implements Massive Design Changes". Forbes.
Retrieved July 4, 2020.
[16] Li, Abner (April 11, 2021). "Google Lens comes to desktop web w/ Google Photos
OCR". 9to5Google. Retrieved May 16, 2021.

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