There's no shortage of ways to store your photos and videos in the cloud.
- Google Photos for Mac is the home for all your photos and videos, searchable and organised by the people, places, and things that matter. Download Google Photos for Mac Now.
- Google photos free download - Google Photos Backup and Sync, Google Chrome, Google Earth Pro, and many more programs.
Download Google Photos for Mac OS. Manage your photos on your Windows PC with Google Photos.
At Mashable, Google Photos has quickly become our favorite online photo and video storage service because it's free and offers unlimited storage, as long as you're OK with photos being no larger than 16-megapixels and videos no greater than 1080p full HD resolution.
See also: How to back up your Android phone or tablet
Another reason we love Google Photos: It's super easy to get your photos and videos from all your devices into one place. Here's how to do it.
iOS and Android
Google Photos is available as a free app for iOS and Android. If you own a Nexus device with the latest version of Android or a device running a stock version of Android, you may already have it installed.
Once downloaded, it's a matter of letting it auto upload all of your photos and videos into the cloud. If you have tens of thousands of photos and videos like me, it may take quite a bit of time to get your files.
Mac, Windows, camera and memory cards
Auto-uploading your photos and videos from your computer, camera and memory cards is equally as easy.
First, go to the Google Photos website and download the Desktop uploader. Install the app and then log into your Google account.
You'll then be prompted to choose backup sources. On Mac, the app automatically includes your iPhoto Library, Apple Photos Library, Desktop and Pictures folders, but you can click the 'Add folder' button to add more folders or select an external storage location like a camera, memory card or hard drive. You can also, of course, deselect the default backup sources.
We recommend leaving the 'Photo size' set to 'High quality (free unlimited storage).' Click OK and the photos and videos in the selected backup sources will start uploading into Google Photos in the background; new photos and videos added to the folders will automatically upload.
Manual upload
If auto-uploading and backing up your photos and videos from your computer is too extreme, you can always manually upload photos by going to photos.google.com, logging in and clicking the little cloud button with the 'up' arrow inside of it, which is located at the top of the screen.
Alternatively, you can drag and drop files or folders directly into Google Photos to upload them.
Transferring from Flickr
There's no way to directly import your photos from Flickr and upload them to Google Photos. Instead, you'll need to download your Flickr photos and then re-upload them to Google's photo service.
To download Flickr photos, select the ones you want under the Camera Roll tab and click the 'Download' button located at the bottom of the screen. Once the zip folder containing the photos is downloaded, unzip it and manually upload the folder or individual files into Google Photos, as outlined above in the manual upload section.
Transferring from Facebook
Like Flickr, there's no direct way to import your photos from Facebook to Google Photos. Getting your photos off Facebook is also more of a hassle.
You've got two options: 1) manually download all the photos you want and re-upload to Google Photos or 2) download all of your Facebook data, locate your photos and videos, and then re-upload to Google Photos. The latter will get you all your Facebook photos, but the process of downloading all your Facebook data takes an eternity.
Amazon, Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive, Dropbox, etc.
The situation is similar to getting your photos from other cloud services into Google Photos. You'll need to download pictures and videos to a computer and then re-upload them manually into Google Photos.
We know, it's time-consuming — and figuring out how to download all photos and videos can be a real pain if there's no 'download all' button. But look on the bright side, once they're all stored in Google Photos, you'll be able to search pictures for people and objects using its powerful search feature.
BONUS: The search for the ultimate smartphone camera
Photos in macOS Catalina has an immersive, dynamic look that showcases your best photos. Find the shots you’re looking for with powerful search options. Organize your collection into albums, or keep your photos organized automatically with smart albums. Perfect your images with intuitive built-in editing tools, or use your favorite photos apps. And with iCloud Photos, you can keep all your photos and videos stored in iCloud and up to date on your Mac, Apple TV, iPhone, iPad, and even your PC.
A smarter way to find your favorites.
Photos in macOS Catalina intelligently declutters and curates your photos and videos — so you can easily see your best memories.
Focus on your best shots.
Photos emphasizes the best shots in your library, hiding duplicates, receipts, and screenshots. Days, Months, and Years views organize your photos by when they were taken. Your best shots are highlighted with larger previews, and Live Photos and videos play automatically, bringing your library to life. Photos also highlights important moments like birthdays, anniversaries, and trips in the Months and Years views.
Your memories. Now playing.
Memories finds your best photos and videos and weaves them together into a memorable movie — complete with theme music, titles, and cinematic transitions — that you can personalize and share. So you can enjoy a curated collection of your trips, holidays, friends, family, pets, and more. And when you use iCloud Photos, all edits automatically sync to your other devices.
The moment you’re looking for, always at hand.
With Search, you can look for photos based on who’s in them or what’s in them — like strawberries or sunsets. Or combine search terms, like “beach 2017.” If you’re looking for photos you imported a couple of months ago, use the expanded import history to look back at each batch in chronological order. And in the My Albums tab, you’ll find your videos, selfies, panoramas, and other media types automatically organized into separate albums.
Fill your library, not your device.
iCloud Photos can help you make the most of the space on your Mac. When you choose “Optimize Mac Storage,” all your full‑resolution photos and videos are stored in iCloud in their original formats, with storage-saving versions kept on your Mac as space is needed. You can also optimize storage on your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch, so you can access more photos and videos than ever before. You get 5GB of free storage in iCloud — and as your library grows, you have the option to choose a plan for up to 2TB.
Make an edit here, see it there. When you make changes on your Mac like editing a photo, marking a Favorite, or adding to an album, they’re kept up to date on your iPhone, your iPad, and iCloud.com. And vice versa — any changes made on your iOS or iPadOS devices are automatically reflected on your Mac.
Google Photo App Download
All your photos on all your devices. iCloud Photos gives you access to your entire Mac photo and video library from all your devices. If you shoot a snapshot, slo-mo, or selfie on your iPhone, it’s automatically added to iCloud Photos — so it appears on your Mac, iOS and iPadOS devices, Apple TV, iCloud.com, and your PC. Even the photos and videos imported from your DSLR, GoPro, or drone to your Mac appear on all your iCloud Photos–enabled devices. And since your collection is organized the same way across your Apple devices, navigating your library always feels familiar.
Resize. Crop. Collage. Zoom. Warp. GIF. And more.
Create standout photos with a comprehensive set of powerful but easy-to-use editing tools. Instantly transform photos taken in Portrait mode with five different studio-quality lighting effects. Choose Enhance to improve your photo with just a click. Then use a filter to give it a new look. Or use Smart Sliders to quickly edit like a pro even if you’re a beginner. Markup lets you add text, shapes, sketches, or a signature to your images. And you can turn Live Photos into fun, short video loops to share. You can also make edits to photos using third-party app extensions like Pixelmator, or edit a photo in an app like Photoshop and save your changes to your Photos library.
- LightBrilliance, a slider in Light, automatically brightens dark areas and pulls in highlights to reveal hidden details and make your photo look richer and more vibrant.
- ColorMake your photo stand out by adjusting saturation, color contrast, and color cast.
- Black & WhiteAdd some drama by taking the color out. Fine-tune intensity and tone, or add grain for a film-quality black-and-white effect.
- White BalanceChoose between Neutral Gray, Skin Tone, and Temperature/Tint options to make colors in your photo warmer or cooler.
- CurvesMake fine-tuned contrast and color adjustments to your photos.
- LevelsAdjust midtones, highlights, and shadows to perfect the tonal balance in your photo.
- DefinitionIncrease image clarity by adjusting the definition slider.
- Selective ColorWant to make blues bluer or greens greener? Use Selective Color to bring out specific colors in your image.
- VignetteAdd shading to the edges of your photo to highlight a powerful moment.
- Editing ExtensionsDownload third-party editing extensions from the Mac App Store to add filters and texture effects, use retouching tools, reduce noise, and more.
- Reset AdjustmentsWhen you’ve made an edit, you can judge it against the original by clicking Compare. If you don’t like how it looks, you can reset your adjustments or revert to your original shot.
Bring even more life to your Live Photos. When you edit a Live Photo, the Loop effect can turn it into a continuous looping video that you can experience again and again. Try Bounce to play the action forward and backward. Or choose Long Exposure for a beautiful DSLR‑like effect to blur water or extend light trails. You can also trim, mute, and select a key photo for each Live Photo.
Add some fun filters.
With just a click, you can apply one of nine photo filters inspired by classic photography styles to your photos.
Share here, there, and everywhere.
Use the Share menu to easily share photos via Shared Albums and AirDrop. Or send photos to your favorite photo sharing destinations, such as Facebook and Twitter. You can also customize the menu and share directly to other compatible sites that offer sharing extensions.
Turn your pictures into projects.
Download Google Photos Desktop App
Making high-quality projects and special gifts for loved ones is easier than ever with Photos. Create everything from gorgeous photo books to professionally framed gallery prints to stunning websites using third-party project extensions like Motif, Mimeo Photos, Shutterfly, ifolor, WhiteWall, Mpix, Fujifilm, and Wix.