The Google Auto Uploader for Photos desktop app is going away as of March 12, 2018, and will be replaced by the new Google Backup and Sync, which is also replacing the Google Drive program for Windows and macOS. Back and Sync will sync your Google Drive documents to the PC as well as.
And service has seen favorable reviews across the board. It is offering unlimited photo and video storage on Google servers provided that photos are not larger than 16 megapixels and videos not larger than 1080p. Users of the service have options to configure Photos to compress images and videos uploaded to the service automatically that are too large so that they don't count against the storage limit. The new Photos application for mobile devices is convenient if most photos happen to be on mobiles, but what if that is not the case? If most of your photos are on your desktop PC or Mac for instance, or on storage devices connected on a computer network, then you cannot use the application effectively for moving those photos to Google Photos to back them up or make them available online. One option that you could make use of then was to use the web interface instead to upload those photos.
The main issue with it is however that it is not well suited for uploading photos in bulk. The desktop uploader that Google has created resolves the issue. You find it listed on the official Google Photos website. Once downloaded and installed (on Windows), you are asked to enter your Google account credentials in the application to continue. The sign-in process supports 2-step verification and if you have configured it, you will be asked to enter a verification code on first run.
You may then be asked to pick a Google identity if you have multiple associated with the account. Those seem to be linked to Google Plus, as the list that was presented to me included my main identity but also all Google+ pages that I created in the past. Once that is out of the way, you are asked to configure the backup behavior. The Google Photos Backup program selects three source folders automatically:. Cameras & Storage Cards (whenever you connect a camera or storage card).
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Desktop. My Pictures You may uncheck those and add custom folders that you want uploaded to the program. There you may also select the desired quality which is set to high to make use of unlimited storage, and whether you want to help Google by allowing anonymous statistics to be sent. Photo uploads are automatic from that moment on.
The settings display several additional options that the initial configuration dialog did not. There you may for instance disable the upload of RAW files, or select to copy photos and videos from external media as well. Please note that the program needs to run in the background, and will do so as it will run on system start automatically.
If you don't want that, you need to block it from doing so, for instance by using msconfig.exe. If you just want to move photos in a one-time operation to Google Photos, you may also remove the desktop uploader again from your system once the operation completes.
Verdict Google Photos Backup complements the new Photos service nicely. It is extremely useful for users of the service who store most of their photos on desktop systems or other storage solutions that are connected to those devices.
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It has been designed to monitor the system permanently, but can be used to upload photos once as well by removing the program from the system after the operation completes. I’m confused. The pics I take with my older Canon 60D are 18mp. They don’t qualify or does this app have to reduce them to the 16mp limit?
I’m also confused how this app is any better than Google’s Picasa – it also uploads photos to google and has a slew of other features. It seems like they are reinventing the wheel. In the first paragraph you say “provided that photos don’t cross the 16 megapixel and videos the 1080p resolution.” Perhaps you should say `aren’t larger than 16 megapixel` or something like that.
I have always remained a fan of Google but the problem is that they don’t maintain consistency, there is nothing permanent (even semi permanent) in them. In the name of enhancement, they are doing more damage to their repute than offering convenience. Google Calendar is an application, I always depended on for SMS+EmaIl notification. Now, they are taking off SMS. It really sucks! Don’t they understand the problem of SmartPhones where privacy and safety can be rather easily compromised? I am interested in this new venture (photo app) of them but, certainly Google is not for serious and important works no more.
So, naturally, I’ll now on treat Google products like toy and toss them off the way they do with Google users. Am I missing something? My difficulty is the quota issue many seem to be experiencingI am currently showing 23gb being used by Google Photos against my Drive quotathe only thing I can determine from the numerous forums on Google itself (from other usersnot Google) is that photos imported from the older services to Photos are either still uncompressed and/or being logged as items to be counted against the quota (obviously, in my case, I had to purchase additional storage to get past the normal “free” storage of 15gb so I could continue using Drive for my documents and email!). Google has developed many great products/services (even when the change seems painful–that is, we just don’t like change) but poor implementation is inexcusable and hurts an otherwise great experience!!