Help an android newbie out: Google Drive photo questions

[Megatomic]

I am a 2 week veteran of the android OS ecosystem making me quite the newbie. I've done some searching but I'd like to ask the experts here for your opinions.

I have uploaded all my digital photos to my Google Drive. On a PC I can browse Google Drive and the pics are all easily viewable and where I expect them to be. Now I'd like to take it a step further: I want to use or install an app to view the pictures on various phones, half iOS (kids) and half android (parents). For now I'm just interested in getting easy access to the files on our android devices. I've got a Moto X on Kitkat and my wife has a Samsung phone on 4.1.2.

So far I've had some luck with the Photos app, I think it's part of Google Now but it's a standalone app too on my phone. The problem I have with it is that the folder structure doesn't translate from Google Drive properly. I nested folders that fit my logic. What I see in the Photos app is that all the folders are there, but they are not nested - they are all top level folders now. Is there a way to fix that? Is that the expected behavior? Should I use another app that will display the photos in the correct nested folder order?

In my perfect world what I envision is opening an app and seeing a list of folders in the structured order I created them in. I could then drill down to the event and see the pictures I am looking for. I don't want to see ALL the subfolders in the main screen.

Thanks for the help, even if that help is a reality check.

 

[s44]

Photos is the front-end through G+. I believe it's built on tags and not folders. If you can adapt to tagging, it could work for you.

Have you actually tried the Drive app?

 

[cronos]

What you're thinking of is what is formerly known as Picasaweb, which has now become part of Google+, as Google+ Photos.

Google somehow made it absolutely confusing, but what you're looking for is right there in Google+. You can access it from your Google+ app, or from the 'Photos' app that you've already found available as a standalone app in your app drawer (it's basically just a shortcut).

And you are correct, the default view of the Photos app is just a flat dumping ground of pictures, and they're not organized in any way, but if you click on the slider menu at the top left, you can choose 'Album' view, from where you have full control of how to organize and show your photos. These photos are by default all locked to only viewable by you. You can then decide how to share it (by sharing with your G+ circles, or public for that matter).

Now, are you sure you uploaded photos to Google Drive and have the photos show up on Google+ Photos? If so, great, you don't have to do anything else. However I have not done it before and didn't even know that Google Drive is even linked to Google+.

 

[Megatomic]

s44 - Yes, it does work also. Is that about the best I can expect then? At least for now?

cronos - I for sure uploaded the pics to Google Drive, I did that from my Win8.1 desktop a few days ago. I'll play around with the settings and see what I can manage. I've shared my Google Drive photos folder with my wife and kids, they can view them that way for now. I don't know if they've even heard of Google+. lol

 

[cronos]

I just tested myself and you're right! This makes it really amazing now. Just arrange all your photos within folders in Google Drive, and then you can access them from Google+ Photos, don't forget to choose 'Albums'.

 

[s44]

Yeah, notice that Photos and Drive share the same storage quota... it's all the same back-end.

Buy a Chromebook, get tons of photo upload space.

 

[Megatomic]

Or in my case, buy a Moto X and get tons of upload space. I've got 65GB total now.

 

[cronos]

Yeah, notice that Photos and Drive share the same storage quota... it's all the same back-end.

Buy a Chromebook, get tons of photo upload space.

I knew that they share quota (I lucked out having paid for the $5/year for 20 GB legacy plan, and then with some HTC and Quickoffice promo I have a total of 71 GB quota on my Google Drive now), but I didn't realize that all I need to do is just dump folders full of photos in Google Drive and it'll automatically show up on G+ as albums.

My wife has been uploading photos through Picasa (the windows application) to her Google+ Photos (Picasaweb before that) since forever. She's going to be very happy tonight after I told her she doesn't have to do it anymore

 

[WelshBloke]

Picasa (the stand alone desktop version) now automatically backs up your photos from your PC and any device you plug in.
It works a bit like Google music and runs in the background slowly uploading everything.

I'd leave your wife using Picasa, she's doing it the "right" way.