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When you come home from vacation you may have big plans for your digital photos. You’re going to edit your photos, organize them and create albums to share with others. Then life gets crazy when you’re back from your trip and, well, you just don’t have time to deal with your photos.
While your intentions may be impressive your time is limited. The idea of going through dozens, hundred or even thousands of photos may be overwhelming. If only there were a free service that would automatically create albums, add edits and turn your photo collection into something you actually wanted to see and share.
Hello Google Photos!
Good news. Google Photos not only has those features, but plenty of others that make it an incredible tool to help you make the most of your photos.
When Google Photos was released in the spring, I wrote a review explaining how the service gives you free unlimited photo storage and creates albums, panorama photos and other creations from your photos.
=> Don’t miss: Google Photos: Making Magic Happen to learn more about using Google Photos
Having used Google Photos since its launch, and particularly after my recent trip to Alaska, I can say I’m an even bigger fan of Google Photos than I was before.
All About Easy
Google Photos takes your photos and creates dynamic, animated, interactive albums. If you use your phone as a camera, Google Photos will do the hard work for you — automatically. All you have to do is open the app on your phone. Period. As in, really, that’s all you have to do.
After you open the app, Google Photos will upload your photos to the Cloud and work its magic. Check back later to see the albums, panoramic photos, animations and edits Google Photos has made with your photos.
[tip] Be sure you’re connected to Wi-Fi when you’re uploading your photos from your phone to Google Photos. You don’t want to blow through your monthly data allowance using this app! [/tip]
Taking photos also becomes easier. Google Photos combines your photos to create panorama photos and GIF animations. Take a bunch of shots of a subject and Google Photos will take your photos and make creative images. No need to struggle taking panoramic shots or choose between shooting video or photos. You don’t need to take the perfect shot or even choose which photo is the best one. Google Photos can perform its magic for you.
When I visited Alaska I took photos with my iPhone knowing that Google Photos would make the most of them. After I returned I uploaded the photos to Google Photos and, sure enough, I was treated to very cool animations and panorama photos of my trip.
Google Photos created this panorama from my photos of the Hubbard Glacier:
Original Photo Link: Google Photos Panorama Alaska
We went on a whale watching tour and were treated to seeing a pod of whales swimming by our boat. I snapped photos repeatedly, not having the opportunity to set up for the perfect shot — those whales move fast!
Google Photos created a GIF animation from my whale photos. Check out this link to the GIF image of my whale photos: Google Photos Sample GIF Whales.
Google Photos also added a creative filter to a photo I took of Creek Street in Ketchikan, Alaska:
Link to the full sized image: Ketchikan, Alaska edited by Google Photos
Not every creation made by Google Photos was one I wanted to keep. Google Photos Assistant gives you the option of saving its creations to your library. If you don’t like them you can get rid of them. But with unlimited storage you can keep all of the ones you like without worrying about running out of storage space.
Photo Location Services
When you’re traveling, you may not remember exactly where a photo was taken. Google Photos shows you on a map where the photo was taken, the date and with which camera.
Click the i button at the top of the screen on the Google Photos website to see information about where the photo was taken.
Albums
Google Photos can take your photos from your trip and design animated albums. You see moving maps to view where you traveled and see information about places you visited. You can add and delete photos to the albums Google creates and add descriptions to each photo. Change the cover photo and edit any photos within the album.
You can also make albums of your own using Google Photos but they don’t have the moving maps or interactive features of the albums created by Google Photos. If you are looking to create your own albums you may want to use Google Photos for its unlimited storage feature instead of to create your own albums.
Editing Photos
If you want to edit your photos yourself, Google Photos gives you editing tools you can use to add filters, crop photos, and adjust settings to make each photo look its best. You can edit photos before or after they’re added to albums. You can also compare before and after versions of each photo to see if your editing improved the look of the photo.
Google Photo’s editing tools are simple to use but may not satisfy someone who wants to do extensive editing. You can download photos from Google Photos to your computer to edit them using other tools if you’d prefer.
Deleting Photos
Another time-saving feature of Google Photos is that when you delete a photo from Google Photos, you’re deleting it from every device you’ve connected to Google Photos. So if you’ve taken photos on your phone but are using Google Photos on your computer, you don’t have to waste time deleting the photos twice.
[warning] Be aware that any photo deleted from Google Photos gets deleted from all of your connected devices. Don’t delete a photo from Google Photos and still expect it to remain on your phone. [/warning]
Sharing
After you’ve finished reviewing Google Photo’s creations, you can share them with others. Google Photos gives you direct sharing to:
- Google Plus
You also can get a link to share your albums and individual photos with friends.
Summary
If you’re looking for an easy, creative and free way to organize your photos, check out Google Photos. You can save a lot of time and enjoy beautiful creations just by opening the app on your phone and letting Google Photos do all the work for you. Plus, Google Photos gives you unlimited storage of your photos for free.
Your Thoughts
Have you been using Google Photos? Do you like the idea of albums and edits being created for you automatically? Are you excited by the idea of free unlimited storage? Share your thoughts with us in the Comments section below!
Going Home with Tony
Once again it’s the first Thursday of the month and once again I’ll be on the Internet radio show Going Home with Tony. Tune in and listen to the show at 6 pm EDT/ 5 pm CDT. I’ll be chatting with Tony and Claudia in the Tech Talk segment at about the half hour mark. Tune in live at Blog Talk Radio: Going Home with Tony Show.
Can’t listen to the live show? Check out the podcast on iTunes or on Blog Talk Radio.
What fun, Carolyn!
I tried downloading the app to my phone, but failed (maybe this is a topic for a future blog post for both of us ;-)). The install request (as usual) is requiring a password from an iTunes account my young nephews tried to set up with an e-mail address that is not the one I have logged for my iTunes account (created on a laptop) with the associated password (no idea what the kids typed for the former) and there doesn’t seem to be any way to redirect to a different e-mail address. Ideas on how to fix this (I haven’t been able to load any apps you’ve suggested due to this challenge)? You’re so marvelous at posting content that appeals equally to neophytes and geeks, I figure if anyone can find a way to address this solution in a way that appeals to all with an insightful solution, you’re the (wo)man.
By the way, I featured you and your blog in a recent series of posts on my site. You can find the latest (and links to the former) in the highlighted CommmentLuv post. I so appreciate what you’re doing with this site (no idea how you find the time).
Hi Nanette, Thank you so very much for your kind words about me and The Wonder of Tech in those articles. You’ve been such a faithful reader from the very beginning and I truly appreciate your enduring support over the years.
Such a great question! You’re not alone. So often I will tell someone about a great app but when they go to download it they realize they don’t know their iTunes password because it was set up by their son, ex-boyfriend, grandmother, third cousin once-removed, or their parole officer.
Yes, you do need to know your iTunes password to download a new app, even a free one such as Google Photos. Check out the Apple Support page to find out how to change your email address for your iTunes account if your nephew set up your iTunes account to the wrong password.
If you have your own iTunes account and your iPhone is logged into the wrong account for iTunes, go to Settings => iTunes & App Store and enter the Apple ID email address for your own iTunes account to log into that one.
I hope you enjoy using Google Photos, Nanette!
Have you labeled all those great pictures you took in Alaska? I was wondering where they were from.
Hi Jerry, Great point. Google Photos saves me lots of time. I don’t have to label photos with where they were taken, Google Photos does that for me!
Click on a photo in Google Photos, then click the i icon in the top right corner of the screen to see a map showing you where the photo was taken. More Google Photo magic!
Hi Carolyn ma’am,
Since, the new Google photos came up with some really cool features which allows us to make photo editing much easier than previously with Google+ photos which was offficially shut down by google on august 1st, 2015. We can do many other experiments in our photos with this app.
Yet another nice article ma’am
Thankyou
Regards,
Mohit
Did not get today’s WOT.
This is a wonderful app. Managing photos has become easy with this app. Thank you so much for sharing this.
Hi Briana, Welcome to The Wonder of Tech! Yes, managing photos with Google Photos is a breeze. You can save time, get amazing creations and have unlimited storage for free. I’m glad you’re enjoying Google Photos, Briana.