Many users have been leveraging both Google Drive and Google Photos to store their precious photos and videos, appreciating the safety and accessibility these platforms offer. Recognizing user feedback about the sometimes confusing connection between these two services, Google announced updates aimed at simplifying the user experience across Drive and Photos. This article will delve into these changes and explain how to effectively use Google Photos with Google Drive moving forward.
Understanding the Disconnection: Changes to Automatic Sync
Starting July, the automatic synchronization between Google Drive and Google Photos has been discontinued. This means that new photos and videos uploaded to Google Drive will no longer automatically appear in Google Photos, and conversely, new photos and videos added to Google Photos will not automatically populate the Google Photos folder in Google Drive.
Furthermore, deleting photos or videos in Google Drive will not result in their removal from Google Photos, and deleting items in Google Photos will not affect their presence in Google Drive. This deliberate separation is designed to prevent accidental data loss across platforms, a common point of user frustration.
Leveraging the “Upload from Drive” Feature in Google Photos
Acknowledging user demand for more control over transferring photos and videos from Drive to Photos, Google introduced the “Upload from Drive” feature in photos.google.com. This new functionality empowers you to manually select specific photos and videos from Google Drive, including items shared with you, for import into Google Photos.
Once copied using this feature, it’s crucial to understand that these items become independent entities in each service, meaning they are no longer linked. Also, it’s important to note that photos and videos copied in Original Quality using “Upload from Drive” will count towards your storage quota in both Google Drive and Google Photos.
Backup and Sync: Continued Functionality
For users utilizing the Backup and Sync application on Windows or macOS, the good news is that this tool continues to function as before. You can still use Backup and Sync to upload photos and videos to both Google Drive and Google Photos simultaneously, in either High Quality or Original Quality.
Remember that items uploaded in High Quality do not count against your Google account storage quota, while items uploaded in Original Quality to both services via Backup and Sync will only count towards your quota once. This provides a consistent method for users who prefer desktop-based management of their photos and videos across both platforms.
What Happens to Your Existing Content?
Rest assured that any photos and videos from Google Drive that were previously synced to Google Photos before these changes remain safely in Google Photos. Similarly, if you have a “Google Photos” folder in Google Drive, it will persist within Drive, although it will no longer be automatically updated with new content from Google Photos. Your existing setup remains untouched, ensuring no content is lost during this transition.
Conclusion: Taking Control of Your Photo Management
These changes reflect Google’s commitment to simplifying the user experience and providing greater control over how you manage your photos and videos across Google Drive and Google Photos. By discontinuing automatic sync and introducing the “Upload from Drive” feature, Google is responding to user feedback and aiming to create a more intuitive and less error-prone system. Understanding these updates is key to effectively using Google Photos with Google Drive and ensuring your valuable memories are safely stored and easily accessible.
