How to use Google Photos to save and find your pictures
Learn how to use Google Photos to back up your pictures to the cloud, find old photos quickly, and free up space on your phone.
What you will learn
In this guide, you will learn how to use Google Photos to keep your pictures safe in the cloud, find old photos easily using search, and free up storage space on your phone. Google Photos is a free app from Google that automatically saves copies of your photos and videos online so you never lose them, even if something happens to your phone.
What you need
- An iPhone or Android phone
- A Google account (a Gmail address). If you do not have one, you will need to create one first.
- An internet connection (Wi-Fi recommended for the first backup)
The steps
Step 1: Download Google Photos
On Android phones, Google Photos is usually already installed. Look for the colourful pinwheel icon. On iPhone, open the App Store, search for Google Photos, and tap Get to install it.
Step 2: Open Google Photos and sign in
Tap the Google Photos icon to open it. If you are not already signed in, the app will ask you to sign in with your Google account. Enter your Gmail address and password. If you have multiple Google accounts, choose the one you want to use for storing your photos.
Step 3: Turn on backup
When you open Google Photos for the first time, it will ask if you want to back up your photos. Tap Turn on backup or Allow. This means the app will automatically save copies of all your photos and videos to your Google account in the cloud. Choose Original quality to keep full resolution, or Storage saver to save space (slightly reduces quality but still looks great on screens).
Step 4: Let the first backup finish
The app will start uploading all the photos on your phone to the cloud. This can take a while if you have many photos. You will see a progress indicator at the top of the screen. Keep the app open and stay connected to Wi-Fi until it finishes. You can still use your phone normally while it backs up.
Step 5: Search for photos
Tap the Search bar at the top of the screen. Google Photos can find photos by what is in them. Try typing things like “beach”, “dog”, “birthday”, or a person’s name (if you have set up face recognition). You can also search by date or location. This makes finding old photos much faster than scrolling through hundreds of pictures.
Step 6: Free up space on your phone
If your phone is running low on storage, tap your profile picture in the top right corner, then tap Free up space (or go to Settings then Free up space). Google Photos will show you how many photos and videos are already safely backed up to the cloud. Tap Free up to delete the local copies from your phone. The photos remain safe in Google Photos and you can view them anytime you have internet.
Step 7: View your photos from any device
You can access your backed-up photos from any device. On a computer, open your internet browser and go to photos.google.com. Sign in with the same Google account. You will see all your photos there. On another phone or tablet, just install Google Photos and sign in.
Tips
- Google Photos creates automatic albums for trips, events, and years. Check the Library tab to explore them.
- Pin important albums to your home screen by opening an album and tapping the three dots menu, then Add shortcut.
- If you accidentally delete a photo, open the Library tab, tap Trash, find the photo, and tap Restore.
- To save mobile data, go to Settings in Google Photos and make sure Back up using mobile data is turned off.
Useful links
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Frequently asked questions
Is Google Photos free?
Yes, Google Photos is free to use. Every Google account comes with 15 gigabytes of free storage shared across Google Photos, Gmail, and Google Drive. After that, you can buy more storage or delete old files to free up space.
Will my photos be safe in Google Photos?
Yes, your photos are stored securely in Google's cloud servers. They are protected by your Google account password. Even if you lose your phone, your backed-up photos are safe and accessible from any device where you log in to your Google account.
Does Google Photos use my mobile data?
By default, Google Photos only backs up your pictures when you are connected to Wi-Fi. You can change this in settings if you want it to use mobile data too, but this will use your data allowance.
Can I share photos with family?
Yes, you can share individual photos, albums, or even set up a shared family library. Tap the share icon on any photo and choose how you want to share it, by WhatsApp, email, or a direct link.
What happens if I delete a photo from Google Photos?
If you delete a photo from Google Photos, it goes to the Trash and stays there for 60 days before being permanently deleted. You can recover it from the Trash during that time. Be careful: if backup is on, deleting from Google Photos may also delete it from your phone.
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