Just in time for Summer, see how Google Photo can clear space on your cellphone for all those
memorable Summer activities.
If you are like me you have a lot of pictures saved on your phone. I am always reluctant to delete them off my
phone and rarely plug my phone into a computer to move them off. So what can you do when you phone starts
telling you that you are out of storage space? This is where Google Photo can help by storing the photos in the
cloud and allowing you to delete them from your phone. Here are the steps to be successful with Google Photo:
Step 1: Install Google Photo on Your Device
Works on Android and iOS devices, there is also a web-based version that will work on your desktop PC or Mac. The app icon will look like the image above.
Works on Android and iOS devices, there is also a web-based version that will work on your desktop PC or Mac. The app icon will look like the image above.
Step 2: Select the Quality Level
You have two choices here. High quality is free but will reduce the file size. For most of us this should be fine as it is still a nice photo and is able to reproduce a sizable print (12X14) of good quality. Once you make this selection, Google Picture will begin to move copies to the cloud. I had around 300 images on my phone and began the process at 10:00 one night. I noticed that it was still moving images the next day at school and it finished around 11:00. I selected the option of only backing up when connected to WiFi so I didn’t use my phones data allowance. Going forward when you open the Google Photo app it will backup any new images you have taken.
You have two choices here. High quality is free but will reduce the file size. For most of us this should be fine as it is still a nice photo and is able to reproduce a sizable print (12X14) of good quality. Once you make this selection, Google Picture will begin to move copies to the cloud. I had around 300 images on my phone and began the process at 10:00 one night. I noticed that it was still moving images the next day at school and it finished around 11:00. I selected the option of only backing up when connected to WiFi so I didn’t use my phones data allowance. Going forward when you open the Google Photo app it will backup any new images you have taken.
Step 3: View Your Images in the Cloud
If you log into your Google account you should now be able to see the photos (and videos) you had on your phone using the Google Photo web app. The nice thing is that you can also use any of these images in other Google Apps (i.e. Docs, Slides, Sites, etc). One thing you should be aware of, if you delete an image from Google Photo you will also delete it from your other locations. Google gives you a warning first, but just be sure you never need the photo again.
If you log into your Google account you should now be able to see the photos (and videos) you had on your phone using the Google Photo web app. The nice thing is that you can also use any of these images in other Google Apps (i.e. Docs, Slides, Sites, etc). One thing you should be aware of, if you delete an image from Google Photo you will also delete it from your other locations. Google gives you a warning first, but just be sure you never need the photo again.
Step 4: Have fun with Your Images
Now you can edit the images using some of the basic editing tools like cropping or rotating, adjust brightness or contrast, or use some color filters. You can also create collages, animations and stylized photos as well. If you really get into it, you can create albums, movies, and stories as well! Wait a minute - did this just give you some ideas of how you might use Google Picture with your students? Sorry that was a mistake, I know you are on Summer Break!
Now you can edit the images using some of the basic editing tools like cropping or rotating, adjust brightness or contrast, or use some color filters. You can also create collages, animations and stylized photos as well. If you really get into it, you can create albums, movies, and stories as well! Wait a minute - did this just give you some ideas of how you might use Google Picture with your students? Sorry that was a mistake, I know you are on Summer Break!
Step 5: Clear Space on Your Phone
Feel free to delete the photos from your phone’s picture area because now they are in the cloud. To clear space on an iPhone (steps 1-7) Android Device (steps 1-4):
Feel free to delete the photos from your phone’s picture area because now they are in the cloud. To clear space on an iPhone (steps 1-7) Android Device (steps 1-4):
- Make sure your photos and videos have been backed up. (Items that are not backed up will have this
icon
.)
- Open the Google Photos app
.
- At the top left, tap Menu
, then Settings.
- Tap FREE UP SPACE and follow the instructions.
- When you see a prompt asking for permission to delete photos, tap Delete.
- Open the iOS Photos app (not the Google Photos app).
- Go to the Recently Deleted album and delete those same photos and videos.
If you want to keep some photos on the device, simply delete the pictures individually in the picture area. If you
need more information: https://support.google.com/photos/
Enjoy the extra space!