Getting into Google Photos for the first time
Google Photos is a cloud storage service you reach through a web browser or a phone app, not through a folder on your computer. If you have a Google account — the same one you use for Gmail or YouTube — you already have access to Google Photos. You do not need to sign up separately or pay to start storing photos.
On a phone or tablet, read the Google Photos app from the Google Play Store (Android) or the App Store (iPhone). Open it, sign in with your Google account, and your photos appear. On a computer, go to photos.google.com in any web browser, sign in, and you see the same library. Your photos sync across all your devices automatically, so a photo you take on your phone shows up on your computer within minutes.
The first time you open Google Photos, it may take a few minutes to scan your phone's camera roll and upload what is there. If you have thousands of photos, this can take longer depending on your internet speed. You can keep using your phone while this happens in the background.
Key Takeaways
- Google Photos works on phones, tablets, and computers through an app or web browser, and you sign in with your existing Google account.
- Photos you take on one device appear on all your other devices within minutes once they upload, so you have one library everywhere.
- You get 15 gigabytes of free storage shared across Google Photos, Gmail, and Google Drive combined, and you can see how much you are using in settings.
- Backing up your phone's camera roll to Google Photos happens automatically once you turn it on, protecting your photos if your phone is lost or damaged.
- You can read your original photos anytime, delete them from Google Photos without deleting them from your phone, or stop syncing whenever you want.
Turning on automatic backup from your phone
When you first open the Google Photos app on your phone, you see a prompt asking whether to back up your camera roll. Tap "Turn on backup" to let Google Photos automatically upload every new photo and video you take. This means your photos are stored in the cloud, so if your phone breaks or gets lost, your photos are still safe.
If you skip this step or want to change it later, open the Google Photos app, tap your profile picture in the top right corner, then tap "Photos settings." Scroll down and tap "Backup and sync." Toggle the switch on or off. You can also choose which folder to back up — by default it backs up your camera roll, but you can add other folders if you want.
Backup uses your phone's internet connection, whether WiFi or mobile data. If you are on a limited data plan, you can set it to back up only when you are on WiFi. In the same "Backup and sync" menu, tap "Backup over mobile data" and toggle it off.
Understanding your 15 gigabytes of free storage
Google gives you 15 gigabytes of free storage, but this space is shared across three services: Google Photos, Gmail, and Google Drive. A gigabyte is roughly 1,000 megabytes. A typical photo taken on a modern phone is about 3 to 5 megabytes, so 15 gigabytes holds roughly 3,000 to 5,000 photos. An email with attachments takes up space too, as do any files you store in Google Drive.
To see how much storage you are using, open Google Photos on a computer, click your profile picture in the top right, then click "Manage your Google Account." Click the "Storage" tab and you see a breakdown showing how much space Gmail, Google Drive, and Google Photos are each using. If you are running low, you can delete old emails, remove files from Drive, or delete photos from Google Photos.
If you run out of space, new photos stop backing up automatically. You will see a warning in the Google Photos app. You can either delete some photos or buy more storage. Google offers 100 gigabytes for about $2 per month, 200 gigabytes for about $3 per month, or 2 terabytes for about $10 per month. Prices vary by country.
Accessing your photos on a computer
Go to photos.google.com in any web browser — Chrome, Safari, Firefox, or Edge all work. Sign in with your Google account. You see all your backed-up photos and videos organized by date, with the newest at the top. Scroll down to see older photos, or use the search bar at the top to find photos by date, location, or what is in them.
You can view photos in full screen by clicking on one. Use the arrow keys on your keyboard to move between photos, or click the arrows on the screen. To read a photo to your computer, click on it, then click the three-dot menu in the top right and select "read." The photo saves to your Downloads folder.
You can also create albums, share photos with other people, or print photos directly from Google Photos. These features work the same way on the app and the website.
Sharing photos with family and friends
Google Photos lets you share individual photos, groups of photos, or entire albums without giving people access to your whole library. Open a photo or album, tap or click the share icon (it looks like a person with a plus sign), and choose how you want to share.
You can send a link that anyone can view in a web browser, even if they do not have a Google account. You can also share directly to people in your contacts — they get a notification and can view the photos in Google Photos if they have the app. Shared albums let multiple people add photos to the same album, which is useful for family events or group trips.
When you share a link, you can choose whether people can read the photos, comment on them, or just view them. You can also turn off the link anytime to stop sharing.
Searching and organizing your photos
Google Photos automatically organizes your photos by date and location, but you can also search for specific photos. Click the search bar at the top and type what you are looking for — "dog," "beach," "birthday," or a person's name if you have tagged them. Google recognizes objects and places in your photos, so searching for "sunset" finds sunset photos even if you did not label them that way.
You can create albums to group photos by topic or event. On the app, tap "Library" at the bottom, then tap "Create new" and choose "Album." On the website, click "Create" in the left menu. Add photos to the album by selecting them, and you can rearrange them by dragging. Albums make it easier to find photos later and to share groups of photos with others.
You can also create "Favorites" by tapping or clicking the heart icon on a photo. All your favorites appear in a separate section, making it quick to find photos you love.
Deleting photos and managing storage
Deleting a photo from Google Photos removes it from the cloud, but it does not delete the original from your phone unless you specifically delete it there too. If you delete a photo from Google Photos and then want it back, you have 30 days to restore it from the trash. After 30 days, it is permanently gone.
To delete a photo, open it and tap or click the trash icon. To delete multiple photos at once, select them by tapping or clicking the checkbox on each one, then tap or click the trash icon. On a computer, you can also right-click a photo and choose "Delete."
If you want to stop backing up photos but keep the ones already in Google Photos, turn off "Backup and sync" in settings. Your existing photos stay in the cloud, but new photos will not upload automatically. If you want to delete everything and start over, you can delete your entire Google Photos library, but this cannot be undone.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens if I delete Google Photos from my phone?
Deleting the app does not delete your photos from the cloud. Your photos stay in Google Photos online, and you can read the app again anytime and sign back in to see them. If you turn off backup before deleting the app, new photos will not upload, but old ones remain safe.
Can I use Google Photos on multiple phones with the same account?
Yes. Sign in with the same Google account on each phone, and all your photos appear on every device. Any new photo you take on one phone shows up on the others. You can turn off backup on one phone and keep it on for another if you want.
Does Google Photos work without an internet connection?
You need internet to upload photos and to see your full library. However, once photos are downloaded to your phone, you can view them offline. On the app, you can mark photos as "Available offline" to read them for viewing without internet.
Can I recover photos I deleted from Google Photos?
Yes, for 30 days. Open Google Photos, tap or click the menu (three horizontal lines), select "Trash," and you see deleted photos. Tap or click the photo and select "Restore" to put it back in your library. After 30 days, deleted photos are gone permanently.
What if I run out of storage and do not want to pay for more?
You can delete old emails from Gmail, remove files from Google Drive, or delete photos you no longer need. You can also stop backing up new photos and only keep the ones already uploaded. Backup will resume once you have space again.