Google Drive changes the rules of backup, how to upload photos starting from August 10th

It should be clarified that neither Google Drive nor Google Photos stop working: they both remain fully operational. Only the way they communicate with each other changes. Until now, Drive could act as an intermediary, automatically sending the photographic contents of the selected folders to the image service. Now that bridge is broken, and the two products become independent of each other again.

Those who relied on this mechanism will have to take action, because the real risk is to continue to think that their photos are safe when in reality they are no longer safe. The solution exists, even if it involves a few more steps. Since there is no dedicated desktop app for Google Photos, the only way to upload files from your computer is through the service’s website. From there, by clicking on the “+” symbol at the top right and choosing the folder backup option, you can indicate which directories to keep synchronized. From that moment, every time you visit the site, Google Photos uploads new images present in those folders.

This is precisely the aspect that will really change the habits of many users: loading is no longer continuous and invisible as before, but requires you to periodically open the site to start synchronization. The photos already present on Google Photos are not affected by the modification: it is only impossible to continue sending new ones with the old automatic system. With a little perseverance, however, the new gesture (remembering to visit the site) can soon become a habit like the others.

For those who mainly shoot with their smartphone, the most practical solution remains the Google Photos mobile app, which allows you to set automatic uploading as soon as you take a photo, choose the backup quality level and take advantage of the methods designed to optimize the space occupied on the cloud.