Google Photos-ios/android and web

[SAWYER]

free and unlimited storage of pics original resolution up to 16 mp, 1080p videos. The demo at Google I/O was pretty amazing, available today

https://youtu.be/ydBjsZnHrwM

 

[WelshBloke]

How's that different to what Google photos has been doing for years?

 

[SAWYER]

Not sure I wasnt a user but I was impressed by the demo, I will for sure upload all my old pics from past years I have stored on my pc

 

[WelshBloke]

Not sure I wasnt a user but I was impressed by the demo, I will for sure upload all my old pics from past years I have stored on my pc

It's really easy to back up from your PC, works the same as Google music and just backs everything up in the background.

http://googlesystem.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/google-auto-backup-for-desktop.html?m=1

 

[SAWYER]

I will wait until this goes live today and do it

 

[WelshBloke]

I will wait until this goes live today and do it

Those instructions have been valid for the past few years, why wait?

 

[SAWYER]

I have waited this long, a few hours wont kill me

 

[poofyhairguy]

How's that different to what Google photos has been doing for years?

A: It is now disconnected from Google plus

B: More in-app features like automatic categorization

C: Unlimited photo storage

 

[rumpleforeskin]

Thought only photos up to 4 megapixels were free, anything over was deducted from your google drive space?

Edit: my bad, seems the google I/O today announced a change to 16mp limit

 

[SAWYER]

This is new

 

[WelshBloke]

A: It is now disconnected from Google plus

Is that really that much of a difference?

B: More in-app features like automatic categorization

Thats cool but its more of and incremental improvement rather than a new thing. I was under the impression than the OP diddnt know that Google alrady had a photo backup thingy.

C: Unlimited photo storage

Just checked, Ive got 21,822 photos backed up to google for free. Thats unlimited enough for me.

 

[poofyhairguy]

Is that really that much of a difference?

Yeah, if only because now you can do more with your photos without everyone in your life being on Google Plus. Now when you share photos via the app instead of it being shared on your Google Plus now it is hosted on a web page that anyone can view.

Thats cool but its more of and incremental improvement rather than a new thing.

Oh sure, this is the Photos app broken away and upgraded with a better backend. The real "new" thing is it all being on iOS.

Just checked, Ive got 21,822 photos backed up to google for free. Thats unlimited enough for me.

They really limited the quality before. Now its up to 16 megapixels.

 

[quikah]

Yeah, if only because now you can do more with your photos without everyone in your life being on Google Plus. Now when you share photos via the app instead of it being shared on your Google Plus now it is hosted on a web page that anyone can view.

Welcome to 3 years ago? picasa web albums...

 

[poofyhairguy]

Welcome to 3 years ago? picasa web albums...

Picasa web albums are tied to your Google account. This is not like that, with this when you share photos Google creates a new webpage with just those photos that doesn't require any logging in. So you share the link, and then people can see it and/or add the pictures to their library.

It is all incremental stuff, but it is a little different. Obviously Google thought the old method was too Google-specific, while this model will allow them to go straight after iCloud's photo offerings.

 

[WelshBloke]

Yeah, if only because now you can do more with your photos without everyone in your life being on Google Plus. Now when you share photos via the app instead of it being shared on your Google Plus now it is hosted on a web page that anyone can view.

Anyone can view them now if you make them public. You can email them or share them other ways as well.

Oh sure, this is the Photos app broken away and upgraded with a better backend. The real "new" thing is it all being on iOS.

Forgive me for not getting excited about a feature for iOS.

They really limited the quality before. Now its up to 16 megapixels.

2048x2048 pixels is fine for sharing.

 

[poofyhairguy]

Anyone can view them now if you make them public. You can email them or share them other ways as well.

Sure, you can make them public IF YOU HAVE A GOOGLE PLUS ACCOUNT. That is the whole announcement really, that Photos are being detached from Google Plus.

I am not trying to argue this is some huge improvement, just saying what is happening.

Forgive me for not getting excited about a feature for iOS.

I love when Google Apps go to iOS because then I can push my family to use them. Like now a lot of my family and friend know to communicate with me via hangouts.

This KILLS my recommendation of iCloud to backup pictures when moving to a new iPhone. One less piece of lockin Apple will have on my family.

2048x2048 pixels is fine for sharing.

But what about archiving? I actually am/was paying Google for extra storage so I could upload higher quality photos incase I lost my phone. This move basically gives me back a few bucks a month.

 

[WelshBloke]

Sure, you can make them public IF YOU HAVE A GOOGLE PLUS ACCOUNT. That is the whole announcement really, that Photos are being detached from Google Plus.

I am not trying to argue this is some huge improvement, just saying what is happening.

Your still going to need an account with google though arent you? A Google minus account? Otherwise how are you going to have any control over your photos? This, presumably, isnt going to be like uploading stuff to imgur.

I love when Google Apps go to iOS because then I can push my family to use them. Like now a lot of my family and friend know to communicate with me via hangouts.

This KILLS my recommendation of iCloud to backup pictures when moving to a new iPhone. One less piece of lockin Apple will have on my family.

Fair enough. None of my family use iOS devices so its not an issue for me.

But what about archiving? I actually am/was paying Google for extra storage so I could upload higher quality photos incase I lost my phone. This move basically gives me back a few bucks a month.

I archive my stuff locally (sort of). I use Google+ as an easy way to access my photos at all times on all my devices.

 

[poofyhairguy]

Your still going to need an account with google though arent you? A Google minus account? Otherwise how are you going to have any control over your photos? This, presumably, isnt going to be like uploading stuff to imgur.

From what I understand it seems a lot like imgur. You click share and a custom link is made that any web browser can get to. No account needed, that is what they are going for.

I think this means that Google is going to stop trying to leverage everything it can to get people to sign up for Google Plus.

 

[WelshBloke]

From what I understand it seems a lot like imgur. You click share and a custom link is made that any web browser can get to. No account needed, that is what they are going for.

Sounds like how they share unlisted youtube videos? But that still needs a google account.

I think this means that Google is going to stop trying to leverage everything it can to get people to sign up for Google Plus.

I never understood the problem people had with Google+, it was basically just a common login to all Googles services.

 

[SAWYER]

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.apps.photos

it is pretty nice

 

[cpacini]

Just checked, Ive got 21,822 photos backed up to google for free. Thats unlimited enough for me.

That includes video too. I think the limit was 15 gb which is plenty for most people for photos, but that could be eaten up very quickly by video.

 

[WelshBloke]

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.apps.photos

it is pretty nice

Its interesting that if you install that it replaces the Google+ photo app, has exactly the same icon, looks almost identical and works exactly the same.

It does seem to be resyncing my thumbnails so I'll check back later.

That includes video too. I think the limit was 15 gb which is plenty for most people for photos, but that could be eaten up very quickly by video.

Videos were free under a certain time limit (5mins? 15 mins? I cant remember), I've got a ton of those backed up as well for free.

 

[JAG87]

Just so everyone understands, this is not "original" up to 16MP... it's still re-compressed. So you shouldn't use it as a backup, because it's not a backup. Google claims the quality loss is negligible, but that's subjective. Especially when it comes to video.

If you want original untouched, it will eat away at your drive space.

 

[dlock13]

Sounds like how they share unlisted youtube videos? But that still needs a google account.

I never understood the problem people had with Google+, it was basically just a common login to all Googles services.

Agreed.

For some reason, people still view Google as only a search and email device. They can't see it as anything more than that. So when G+ came around, they decided they didn't want to join it because their friends are still all on Facebook and Twitter. G+ has not grown like those two have.

 

[SAWYER]

Slightly compressed will be fine for my uses