Google Photos - Things To Know

I love Google for many reasons. I also think you need to know what you're getting into with any company, especially when they are going from "free unlimited" to monthly charging. Awareness is always nice. Educate yourself on if Google is a good place for you to pay for cloud storage. With an increasing number of cloud options out there, if you don't watch yourself, you could end up paying tons of money each month to the various places. Here are a few things I think you should know about Google and what it's going to look like after June 1st. Obviously, there is WAY more to know about Google, but this is a small list of things that a photo organizer would care about.

1. You will only be allowed 15GB of free cloud storage going forward on Google One. This includes content from Gmail, Drive and Photos.

2. Photos uploaded to Google before then will still be hosted for free (so upload all you want over the weekend!)

3. If you have a Google Pixel 5 or earlier phone, this change doesn't apply to you. You can still upload unlimited "high quality" photos after June 1st, which will now be called "Storage Saver." (What the heck does "high quality" mean? Basically, if a photo is over 16 megapixels, Google compresses it upon import. If you care about your photos staying in their original size, this might concern you.)

4. You can share your Google Storage Space Subscription with up to 5 family members (6, including you). You can't see each other's files unless you specifically share them but you all can use the storage space. ( I think of it as a house and everyone has their own private rooms.)

5. You have 24 months before Google will start to delete your stuff that's over the limit, if you don't upgrade to a paid account. They say they will give you notice.

6. Check out what Google estimates you have for storage space. Google gives you an overview of what you have and how long they think before you're out of space with your current plan. This might help you decide if you think you need to pay for storage.

7. Use Google's Storage Management tool to clean up your Google files. They will give you suggested items you can delete to save space.

8. Check out the cost for Google plans going forward. If it's worth it to you, pony up the cash to pay for an account.

9. If you prefer to remove all your photos from Google and move ahead with a new game plan for your photos, use Google Takeout.

10. I like Amazon or Dropbox for photo backup. OneDrive is a good option, too, for PC users.

So there it is, just a few things to think about with the upcoming Google changes.

:)