Google Photos is a fantastic way to encounter your photos and the powerful search makes information technology easy to find pictures of certain people, places or times. Before i June 2021, Google did offer unlimited free storage for photos. Now, things have changed.

You only get 15GB of Google storage in total, which counts files on your Google Bulldoze and Gmail, every bit well as Google Photos. Therefore, if you want to upload more photos and videos that will accept your limit past 15GB, y'all'll demand to purchase more than storage with Google One.

At that place's 4 tiers of storage currently on Google One. These are:

  • 15 GB - Free
  • 100 GB - £i.59 per month/£15.99 per year
  • 200 GB - £2.49 per month/£24.99 per year
  • 2 TB - £7.99 per month/£79.99 per twelvemonth

Sadly, no unlimited storage option is currently available. You'll have to look at other Cloud storage options if you want that. You can likewise make more room for photos and video by clearing out large files on your Google Drive.

In that location'due south no demand to worry about existing files from before one June, as these photos will remain on Google's servers and won't exist deleted or blocked if you lot don't pay - that'south a common misconception.

If, like me, yous take a photograph library total of pictures you took prior to owning a smartphone, chances are they're sat on a hard drive somewhere. Google hasn't made it piece of cake to upload them, but here's are ii ways to upload every single photo, one of which is automatic.

Upload to Google Photos via a web browser

Earlier I get to the all-time way, here's the obvious way: head to photos.google.com and click on Upload.

How to upload to Google Photos from Windows

Unfortunately, the easy mode won't work for most people because the Upload option in Google Photos will only upload the contents of a single folder.

Most people keep their photos in multiple folders and then they have 'albums' for unlike occasions. Unless yous're willing to go through dozens or even hundreds of folders and copy – or move – those photos into a single folder, you lot won't be able to use this option.

You could laboriously use the Upload push button for each folder you have merely, again, that's impractical if you accept a hundred or more.

TIP: Before you upload all your photos, upload 1 or two and check that Google Photos tin can correctly identify when they were taken. Otherwise, you lot'll have a tough time finding them again.

One time uploaded, you should exist able to enter the date information technology was taken, such every bit '22 May 2000' and all photos from that date should be shown. If not, search for the exact filename of the photo you just uploaded, and Google Photos should show it. Click the i symbol at the summit and you'll see the info for that photo.

How to upload to Google Photos

If in that location is a problem and the 'appointment taken' isn't identified correctly, you'll demand to use a tool to edit this metadata.

One time you've striking the limit of what you can upload, Google will inform you. If you need more space, you can become a premium Google One account.

Upload to Google Photos via Backup & Sync

And so nosotros come up to the best option for uploading your whole photo library to Google Photos. It involves downloading Google'due south Backup & Sync utility, choosing a folder or folders to sync, so leaving information technology to upload the photos, as well every bit whatsoever videos in those folders.

If those folders happen to be on a NAS bulldoze as mine were, you may find yous cannot select the root folder in Backup & Sync. The workaround is to create a binder within that (call it upload or whatever you like), then motility all your folders of photos into that.

Here, step by step, is how to go about installing Backup & Sync and uploading all those snaps to Google Photos.

Note: this only works for Windows computers and you'd need to install the Google Photos app on Android or iPhone if you want to upload the camera whorl from your phone. This guide is primarily aimed at those who've already done that and at present desire to upload photos stored on their Windows laptop or PC.

i. Outset, caput to the Google Photos website https://photos.google.com/apps and click the Download button.

How to upload to Google Photos

2. When the file is downloaded, click on it in your web browser, or navigate to the binder where downloaded files are stored – usually Downloads. Double-click on the file (called installbackupandsync.exe) and click the GET STARTED button.

How to upload to Google Photos

3. You'll need to sign into your Google business relationship, the one yous use for Google Photos.

4. On the 'set-up' screen, cull Support photos and videos.

How to upload to Google Photos

5. Side by side, you need to tell Backup & Sync which folders your photos are in. This could be as simple as clicking the box next to Pictures, but if your photos are stored elsewhere, such as another folder on your hard drive, on an external drive or on a NAS drive, click Choose FOLDER and navigate to it.

How to upload to Google Photos

You can sync multiple folders, but yous can't select multiple folders at the same time.

half dozen. Select the quality you desire for your photo/video - Storage Saver takes upwards less room, merely compresses the file. Meanwhile Original Quality will not compress the files, simply volition take upwards more storage in your quota.

7. Click Commencement and Backup & Sync will brainstorm uploading photos and videos in the folder(s) you've chosen to Google Photos.

eight. If you want to check on progress, click the ^ symbol on the Windows Taskbar and click the little white cloud symbol. You'll see a scrolling list of the files existence uploaded.

How to upload to Google Photos

How long it volition take to upload all your photos and videos will depend on the full amount of data to exist uploaded and the upload speed of your internet connectedness, which is typically a lot slower than the download speed.

Leave your laptop or estimator on while information technology's uploading the files. In my case, with a 16Mbps upload speed, it took effectually 24 hours to upload 30,000 photos and videos from hundreds of folders on a NAS drive.

Again, the corporeality you lot'll be able to upload will depend on the amount of storage yous have in your Google One account.

Related articles for further reading

  • Best alternatives to Google Photos
  • What to do when Google Photos gratuitous storage ends
  • How to download all your photos from Google Photos in one go