10 Hacks Every Google Photos User Should Know
Explore 10 essential Google Photos tips including secure Locked Folder cloud backup, storage management tools, and incremental exports.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- Back up sensitive items from the Locked Folder securely to the cloud.
- Use Google One storage management tools to remove large files and duplicates.
- Utilize new incremental export features through Google Takeout.
- Switch to Amazon Photos on desktop for automated folder backups.
Google Photos doesn't have to be just a basic app you set up and forget. Beneath its initial simplicity lies a wealth of settings and features designed to help you manage massive photo libraries, reduce cloud storage usage, hide private pictures, and configure searches. Written by freelance tech journalist Khamosh Pathak with over 13 years of online writing experience, these hacks help you get the absolute most out of the platform.
One key feature is the Locked Folder, which lets you save sensitive photos or documents securely behind a PIN or biometrics. By default, however, the contents of the Locked Folder remain local-only, meaning you could lose all secured media if your device is lost, even if your main library is backed up.
There is a hidden setting that allows you to back up and sync locked photos securely. Once synced, they remain inside the Locked Folder across devices. If it is not configured yet, navigate to the Collections tab, scroll down to the bottom, and select Locked Folder to enable cloud backup during setup, or tap the Cloud icon on the top toolbar to enable Back up Locked Folder.
To free up space, Google Photos features a storage management tool accessible via Photos settings under Backup > Manage storage. This opens the Google One storage interface where you can clear large attachments. Furthermore, the Clean up by service section intelligently suggests videos, duplicate photos, and unneeded screenshots for deletion.
Managing cloud storage efficiently is vital in an era where digital media accumulates rapidly. Utilizing automated cleanup suggestions and incremental exports helps users maintain organized archives while keeping subscription costs under control without sacrificing important memories.
Google Takeout offers an offline backup copy of your account data, but historically downloaded everything every time. Google has now introduced incremental exports, allowing users to download only data created since the last export by selecting the option under frequency settings on the Google Takeout website.
Subscribers to the $20 per month Google AI Pro plan receive 5TB of cloud storage. Since Google's native desktop backup feature is no longer available for monitoring local folders, users seeking automated background uploads from computer folders can switch to Amazon Photos as a reliable alternative.
Source: Lifehacker
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