Do you want to know if it is possible to sync Google Photos to a PC? If so, here’s a comprehensive guide for you.
This article explains everything related to the technology of synchronizing Google Photos and more.
So, go ahead and learn about this handy feature and know if you can sync Google Photos to a PC.
Know More About Google Photos
Working perfectly on Windows PCs as well as Android and iOS mobile devices, Google Photos is a cloud-based tool.
In fact, it is a cloud-based photo-sharing and editing service. It lets you store your images and other data in the cloud for free. Also, it lets you have a limited amount of space.
It is possible to synchronize Google Photos with your PC once you’ve set it up. Using this specific app, you can save all of your media in cloud storage.
Then, you can have that backup and have it available on all of your devices.
Videos, photos, and many other files can benefit from having a backup. This is particularly true if you’re using a variety of devices to access your information.
Google has a technology named “Backup & Sync.” It allows you to sync your images and media seamlessly.
However, if you want to sync Google Photos to a PC, you can use Google’s new desktop service, Drive.
Sync Google Photos with a PC or Other Devices
You may back up your images to the cloud or transfer them to computers or a smartphone via syncing.
So, you can’t directly utilize Google Drive to synchronize photos to your computer or mobile device.
There are several workarounds, though, that we can employ. See what we can find out.
Requirements to Fulfill to Backup Google Photos
Be sure to read Google’s advice on building a backup of your images before proceeding with the main process. You must also follow particular guidelines before beginning the backup procedure.
Google Photos sync to a PC requires a strong internet connection to avoid technical difficulties:
With that said, there is a limit of 200 Megabytes or 150 Megapixels for photo backups.
Creating a copy of videos that exceed 10 GB is also prohibited by Google.
Additionally, things with a resolution of 256 × 256 pixels or less cannot be backed up.
Image formats supported by Google Photos:
In Google Photos, you may choose between “high quality” and “original quality” when backing up your images.
Google One’s storage subscription is required if you want to back up your files to their original quality.
In addition to RAW files, you can create backup files using .jpg, .png, .webp, and .gif extensions, as well as some .jpeg images.
Any Android, iPad or iPhone with the Google Photo app installed must be used to back up those photos.
Video files can be backed up by Google in the following formats:
mpg, mmv, mod, tod, .avi, asf, divx, 3gp, mp4, and so on.
For Google to back up your photographs and videos, they must be saved in one of those formats.
What Makes Sync Different from Backup?
Before we learn how to sync Google Photos with a PC, let’s go through this introduction.
Understanding the distinction between sync and backup is vital before we start the procedure of synchronizing and backing up.
The term “syncing” refers to accessing the same file from several locations. The result is that you can have many copies of the same file in different places.
In contrast, when we perform backups, we make a replica of the original photo or file. As a result, even if you misplace your original file, you can still access a copy of the backup. With such an approach, you can go ahead and continue your work.
It is, however, possible to lose access to a synchronized file unless the backup is created. It is true that synced data might be regarded as limited backups. However, the user must be careful and avoid destroying them before the proper backup is in place.
Sync Google Photos with PC – How Should You Do It?
In the beginning, Google introduced a program called Backup & Sync. This specific feature permitted individuals to synchronize their Google Photos to their PCs utilizing the Google Drive cloud service.
When it was first released, the Google Drive tool on desktop offered backup and sync features. That means users cannot immediately synchronize Google Photos with the PC files explorer using this specific tool.
On your PC, it is only possible to create backups of your Google Photos tool. However, you cannot sync them. You can get around this by putting them in a Google Drive folder instead of Google Photos. To save on cloud storage, don’t upload the same file to both Google Drive and Photos.
As a result, uploading images to the cloud should only be done with care. Ensure you access from any Android/iOS device or location by putting the files on Google Drive.
But you can synchronize your phone’s photos and videos directly to Google’s photo service, which is free.
How to Create a Backup of Google Photos on a PC
Syncing Google Photos from the cloud is easiest when you learn how to download Google Photos. You should also learn how to save them to your computer.
- First, open Google Photos’ official website using the Chrome browser to move a photo folder.
- Then, you should decide whether you want to back up static or even animated images.
- You should choose a variety of photographs or even the Google Photo folder.
- After that, you must first click on one of the original photos and then use “Shift.”
- It is simply possible to all those images in the range simply by doing that. The photographs you’ve chosen will have a blue tint applied to them.
- In the top-right corner, click the three-dot button to continue. In the end, click Download to begin the download process.
- It’s necessary to extract the ZIP file containing the chosen original / high-quality photographs before they can be opened.
- Extract the photos by clicking on the option called “Extract to,” selecting a location, then clicking on Extract. This is the final step in Google Photos backing-up procedure.
Using this method, you may either download all of the images in the library or just a few. As a result of this strategy, you can only download 500 images at once.
Because of this, downloading tons of pictures and going over the image limit takes some time. In some devices, in fact, it takes an extremely long time.
How to Create an Individual Album
It is possible to download separate photo albums if you’ve ordered your images in this way. Individuals or even many photographs or videos may be downloaded in the same way.
- The Chrome web browser may be used to open albums found on the Google Photo website.
- Then, launch the specific album you desire to create a backup.
- Then, open its menu by clicking on the 3 dots found in the upper right area. To download your whole Photos album, click Download All.
If you intend to obtain the complete cloud library, there’s a great alternative to choose from.
How to Use Google Takeout to Backup Photos
As part of Google’s Takeout service, you can download & export all of the data from the service.
Then, you can even store it on their computer. When it comes to backing up your Google Photos, this is one of the best options.
Additionally, your information will be safe on Google’s server after export. As a result, you don’t have to stress about losing it.
Steps to backup photos by Google Takeout:
- Go to your Google Takeout main page. Google products’ data will be pre-selected for you.
- Deselect anything else and then click the Next step to only download Google Photos easily.
- The (frequency) regularity of export can then be customized based on your needs after you’ve selected your data.
- Once we’ve picked Export, we’ll be able to move on.
- Click the button called “Create export.” It should be done after you’ve selected the size of the file and the format you want to export to.
All of your files will be saved in a single archive. After that, Google will email you a link to when it is done.
The archive file format can then be downloaded directly to the PC. That’s all there is to do when it comes to downloading Google Photos to a computer.
How to Sync Google Photos with Mobile
It is true that you don’t have the ability to sync Google Photos with a PC directly. Instead, you can do it with mobile.
With that, you can create backups of videos, pictures, etc., to Google Photo. You can use the option called Backup & Sync.
Steps to sync Google photos with a smartphone:
- Begin by logging into your Google account in the Google Photo app.
- Once you have done that, touch on the Google Photos account’s profile picture to proceed.
- In fact, that option is located at your screen’s top part to access your photos.
- After that, you should go to the option called “Photo Settings.”
- After that, you should tap on the “Backup & Sync” option to proceed.
- Set up a backup and syncing strategy. You can sync the media files on your smartphone with the Google account this way.
- Tap on your profile image. After that, select the option called “Backup.” That is required to skip the lengthy backup process. The next step is to pick a cloud account to store your backup in.
Besides, if you wish to know how to transfer Google Photos to iCloud, here are the top solutions.
FAQs
1. Can I sync Google Photos to multiple PCs simultaneously? Yes, you can sync Google Photos to multiple PCs using the same Google account. Just install the necessary tools on each PC and sign in with your account.
2. Will syncing Google Photos to my PC affect the storage quota of my Google account? Syncing Google Photos to your PC does not affect the storage quota of your Google account. The files are still stored in your Google account’s cloud storage.
3. Can I edit synced Google Photos on my PC without affecting the original files? Yes, when you edit synced Google Photos on your PC, the changes are applied only to the local copy on your PC. The original files in Google Photos remain unaffected.
4. Are there any file size limitations when syncing Google Photos to a PC? No, there are no specific file size limitations when syncing Google Photos to a PC. However, keep in mind your available storage space on both your PC and Google account.
5. Can I sync Google Photos to a Mac instead of a PC? Yes, the methods mentioned in this article can also be used to sync Google Photos to a Mac. The setup process may vary slightly, but the overall functionality remains the same.
Conclusion
So, that’s about syncing Google Photos with a PC. As you can understand, Google Photo is a convenient online photo and video storage service.
This tool eliminates the need for external storage, such as a USB flash drive. A Google Photos library can back up files from a PC into Google Photos.
But the truth is that you cannot simply sync Google Photos with a PC as you would expect.
We should frankly mention that it is impossible to simply transfer Google Photos to a PC. In this situation, users will have to resort to finding workarounds.
Instead of trying to sync Google Photos to a PC, you can manually download your Google Photos. If not, you can use the Google Takeout tool to sync them to your PC.
Ensure that you follow Google’s standards, however. That means the formats and sizes of files are saved to the Google Photo account while backing up.
So, if you have other doubts related to syncing Google Photos with a PC, please let us know.
