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Monday, November 14, 2016

Google Photos is NOT a "Backup" of Your Photos

A Backup is an EXTRA copy kept in a safe place.
First, here's the definition of "Backup" that I use:
The procedure for making extra copies of data in case the original is lost or damaged.

Backup files are EXTRA copies. 

These extra files are stored in a safe place where they will not be touched unless you need them. 
When you use the Google Photos app on your phone or tablet, you turn on the setting called "Backup and Sync." I wish this was called "Upload and Sync" because it does not meet my definition of Backup.


Google Photos are Working Copies

With the Backup and Sync feature turned on, Google Photos will automatically upload  every photo you take with your phone to the cloud - in your specified Google account. This is great! If you drop your phone overboard, your photos are not lost! So far, it does sound like a backup.

But, after your photos are uploaded, you are encouraged to work with them there. You can edit, delete, create, and share your photos using the Google Photos copy. These are not extra copies - they are the working copy of your photos. If you delete these, they're gone, unless you have an extra copy somewhere.

You are also encouraged to "Free up Space" on your phone by deleting the photos from your phone. Now the Google Photos copy is your only copy!
See other article: Three Ways to Delete Photos with Google Photos


How to make a Backup of your Smartphone Photos

It is your responsibility to make a true backup of your photos. Google Photos, all by itself, is not doing that for you.

Automatic method: use another cloud storage service like Dropbox, or OneDrive, or Amazon Cloud. I use OneDrive. Just download the OneDrive app to your phone, go into settings, and turn on Camera Upload. That automatically uploads a copy of every photo to my Microsoft OneDrive account.

Since this is in addition to Google Photos, the OneDrive copy is an extra copy! A backup. I rarely touch these photos since I prefer to work with the Google Photos app. An extra benefit of OneDrive is that you can choose to also synchronize with your computer's hard drive, so your photos are automatically on your computer, available offline. Now you have 2 extra copies! It's starting to feel very safe now.
See other article: Getting your Photos Down From the Google Photos Cloud

Manual Backup: you can manually connect your phone to your computer and copy pictures to your hard drive. Use the charging cable that came with your computer. There is a USB connection on the end to plug into the computer. Then, follow the prompts on both your computer screen and the phone screen to establish the phone as a drive that your computer can see. Then use standard copy/paste functions to get the pictures from your phone to your computer.

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Chris Guld is President and Teacher-in-Chief at GeeksOnTour.com. She has been in computer training and support since 1983 and owned a Computer Training Center called Computer Savvy from 1983-1996. She was one of the first WordPerfect Certified trainers in 1986; President of the International Computer Training Association in 1993; Author of the Beginner’s Guide to Picasa and the PicasaGeeks.com website. She is now a Top Contributor for the Google Photos Forum and owner of the LearnGooglePhotos.com blog. She loves to teach! If you want to learn, you’ve come to the right place.

38 comments:

  1. Replies
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  2. Good info. What if you set up the Google Photos folder in Google Drive. Wouldn't that count as a backup and be automatic as well??

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  4. Not seeing all mi Google photo

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  5. Is there any way to get the photos back google erased when they discontinued google+? I was in jail and never got the chance to back them up. Somebody please tell me there's a way to get my contacts and photos

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  7. Hey people,...I need major help with an issue I have...when my phone just completely gave up on me.I know he's in the clouds somewhere 😥.Anyhow,I went and bought a newly upgraded series.Please keep in-mind that I always kept backed-up & synced ON.So,when the in-store rep.was doing his job transferring everything to my new phone,finished what he had to do?...Then tells me ...the rest is on the server and give it 3 to 5 days for the company to complete transferring of everything else. Pictures,videos, documents, images,etc.I waited and then?...I only got my contacts.,and nothing else? I started calling people at the company...Nothing?!
    Just ran me in circles.I started getting emails,but only for me to do the rest on my own?! I haven't slept in days. Can someone please reach out to me? And can you believe I was asked in an email from the company providing me with links to retrieve my own data files? And get this !!!? They offered me to have someone retrieve the most important things...for a generous fee,and other ways to get money for something I have already been paying for...for many year's.
    That's DOWN LOW...Not downloads!

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  8. I send my photos to upload for immigrante visa to go canada

    ReplyDelete
  9. I got the OneDrive app onto my phone but I do not have in settings under camera "Camera Upload" to turn on. I also don't see Backup and Sync
    I just got this iPhone XR. My computer is less than a year old and it has many pictures in the regular "pictures". I want all my pictures in Google Photos so I can organize them better. Regular pictures doesn't have all my pictures and they have lots of duplicates. I want to transfer all pictures into Google Photos and use OneDrive. I'm a novice!! Can you help me?

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  11. my id error but please open connected my family calls

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  12. My phone calls numbar but I'd from

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  13. i lose my phone they are any photos and documents
    so that's my new phone so how to backup my old photos anyone help me

    ReplyDelete
  14. google pay image in scan picture matter google photo with matter mobile in photo take after big or small do after print take time big have photo or scan take do print take not knows not does not look small mobile in creates after upload does not look picture photo take after big do or small do not came scan do before matter photo read look have upload do looks gpay looks images in or any website images in upload before matter escgnd writened matter copi scan or photo do in world scan knows read tolds not does matter email came google and google knows add do in 1000 lac cr money invests email came not website in look after print take have or new and google knows do google tipe do money takes 1000 lac cr does gpay print and website tipe google knows websites prints . 1000 lac cr take do google picture with matter look tipe scan or photo mobile in do place google photo with matter in matter came and money came bank a/cs came do new do not mistake do if bank a/c put money given bank a/c in diposit do or courier do escgnd have knows bank a/c numbers 140310100096411 ,b.deva,andhra bank ,gpay 8885553358 ,state bank of india bank a/c number 30144595692 b.ananddas gpay 9640157479 money send details gpay number mobile number sms do escgnd photo wants flexis do busstop sit place have flexi place put sms do email send after sends bank a/c in diposit do money tipe gpay in money transfer do does flexis prints websites press in came does google picture with matter bank a/cs

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  16. I lost my phone I got a new one please help me to get my Google photos please

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  17. Ya it is me but I am not deleting nothing I need to find my stuff and I thought u was storing it like a cloud not getting rid of my stuff like it dont matter I have them for reason and want them u cant just taken them from some one

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  18. I am very impressed with your photos and you’re photography on Instagram so far!

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  19. Thank you,I'm just starting to get used to doing this. thanks.

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  20. very like this your photos,you are a good job ,It is also help for googl seo.

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  21. photos in life are really interesting, laser engrvaing machine can DIY unique photos according to different need.

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  23. I'm trying to follow but don't see my answer. If I back up my pictures and folders is it safe to delete them from my Phone? I am completely out of space and my so card has copies also.

    ReplyDelete