Google Photos is a fantastic fashion to see your photos and the powerful search makes information technology piece of cake to find pictures of certain people, places or times. Before one June 2021, Google did offer unlimited gratis storage for photos. Now, things have changed.

You lot just get 15GB of Google storage in total, which counts files on your Google Drive and Gmail, also every bit Google Photos. Therefore, if you want to upload more photos and videos that will take your limit past 15GB, y'all'll demand to buy more storage with Google One.

There's four tiers of storage currently on Google I. These are:

  • 15 GB - Costless
  • 100 GB - £1.59 per month/£xv.99 per year
  • 200 GB - £two.49 per month/£24.99 per yr
  • two TB - £7.99 per month/£79.99 per yr

Sadly, no unlimited storage option is currently available. You'll take to look at other Cloud storage options if you desire that. You tin too make more room for photos and video by clearing out big files on your Google Bulldoze.

There's no need to worry about existing files from earlier 1 June, as these photos will remain on Google'south servers and won't be deleted or blocked if you don't pay - that'southward a common misconception.

If, like me, yous take a photo library total of pictures yous took prior to owning a smartphone, chances are they're sat on a hard drive somewhere. Google hasn't fabricated information technology easy to upload them, but here'south are two ways to upload every unmarried photo, i of which is automatic.

Upload to Google Photos via a web browser

Before I get to the best way, hither's the obvious way: caput to photos.google.com and click on Upload.

How to upload to Google Photos from Windows

Unfortunately, the piece of cake way won't work for nearly 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 so they have 'albums' for dissimilar occasions. Unless you're willing to become through dozens or even hundreds of folders and copy – or movement – those photos into a single folder, yous won't be able to use this option.

You could laboriously use the Upload button for each folder yous have but, again, that'due south impractical if you have a hundred or more than.

TIP: Earlier you upload all your photos, upload 1 or ii and check that Google Photos can correctly identify when they were taken. Otherwise, you'll take a tough time finding them once again.

Once uploaded, you should exist able to enter the appointment it was taken, such equally '22 May 2000' and all photos from that date should be shown. If not, search for the exact filename of the photo y'all only uploaded, and Google Photos should show information technology. Click the i symbol at the peak and you'll meet the info for that photograph.

How to upload to Google Photos

If there is a trouble and the 'engagement taken' isn't identified correctly, you'll need to use a tool to edit this metadata.

Once you've hit the limit of what yous can upload, Google volition inform you. If you demand more infinite, you can become a premium Google One account.

Upload to Google Photos via Backup & Sync

And and then nosotros come to the best selection for uploading your whole photo library to Google Photos. Information technology involves downloading Google'southward Backup & Sync utility, choosing a folder or folders to sync, and then leaving it to upload the photos, as well as any videos in those folders.

If those folders happen to be on a NAS drive every bit mine were, you lot may find you cannot select the root folder in Backup & Sync. The workaround is to create a folder within that (call it upload or whatsoever you similar), then move all your folders of photos into that.

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

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

1. Starting time, 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 folder where downloaded files are stored – normally Downloads. Double-click on the file (called installbackupandsync.exe) and click the Go STARTED push.

How to upload to Google Photos

3. You'll need to sign into your Google account, the one you use for Google Photos.

4. On the 'fix-up' screen, choose Back up photos and videos.

How to upload to Google Photos

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

How to upload to Google Photos

You tin can sync multiple folders, merely you can't select multiple folders at the same time.

half-dozen. Select the quality y'all want for your photo/video - Storage Saver takes upwards less room, but compresses the file. Meanwhile Original Quality will not compress the files, but volition accept up more storage in your quota.

seven. Click START and Fill-in & Sync will brainstorm uploading photos and videos in the binder(s) you lot've chosen to Google Photos.

8. If you want to check on progress, click the ^ symbol on the Windows Taskbar and click the little white cloud symbol. You lot'll run into a scrolling listing of the files being uploaded.

How to upload to Google Photos

How long it volition accept to upload all your photos and videos volition depend on the total amount of information to be uploaded and the upload speed of your internet connectedness, which is typically a lot slower than the download speed.

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

Once again, the amount yous'll be able to upload will depend on the amount of storage you have in your Google Ane account.

Related articles for further reading

  • Best alternatives to Google Photos
  • What to exercise when Google Photos complimentary storage ends
  • How to download all your photos from Google Photos in i go