TECHNOLOGY

Google Is Ending Integration between Google Photos and Drive

Rosie-Harman

Table of Contents

If you are a G Suite customer, there’s an update for you. Google is ending its integration between Google Photos and Google Drive.

Google has been offering this integration for as long as we can remember. Apparently, it is ending it in the name of simplicity. The product managers of Google Photos, Jason Gupta and Google Drive Dan Schlosser, say that they have received feedback from customers who say that connection between these two services is confusing. It’s true to some extent, right?

From July 10th, the integration will come to an end. In a blog post, Google revealed that this change is meant to simplify the experience across drive and photos. Therefore, the news might not be sad after all.

How Both Services Work 

Here is how both services function as of now:

When you make changes in Google Photos:

  • If you delete a photo, it is deleted from Google Drive too.
  • If you edit a photo, the changes do not show in Google Drive.

When you make changes in Google Drive:

  • If you delete an item from your Google Photos folder, it’s removed from the Google Photos library.
  • If you move a photo from the Google Photos folder to a different folder and then delete that photo, it is also deleted from Google Photos.

Confusing right? Now let’s see what’s changing:

What’s Going To Change?

“When a user uploads or deletes a photo in Google Drive or Photos, the changes will not reflect in the other service.”

So when the change takes place, the photos or videos you add to Google Drive will not appear in Photos. Other than this, file deletions will not sync between the two services. This change will prevent the accidental deletion of items. That is true no doubt that the current syncing has led to ample of blunders. You might have lost some important photos by mistake. We all have been there.  

Upload from Drive Option

Google is planning to offer users a way to copy photos and videos from Google Drive to photos. They will be adding the “Upload from Drive” option to Google Photos. That means you will have two versions of the same file but there won’t be any link between them. This feature will allow users to manually select a video or image from Google Drive. They will have to import the media to Photos.

The current system has caused users to accidentally delete videos and photos across both the platforms. Since everything is integrated, if you delete something from Drive, it will automatically be deleted from Photos and vice versa. After the update is effective, users will have granular control. Maybe just like the control offered by Cox in bill payment via its Cox bill pay service.

Relax, Google is not going to automatically delete anything when it cuts the integration. The photos or videos uploaded by a user from Drive in Photos are going to remain in Photos. Even if you have a Google Photos folder in your Drive, it will remain there. However, it won’t update automatically. This the only thing that is changing and it’s for our own good.

Backup and Sync Remain Unchanged

Wait, what about backup and sync? You will still be able to use backup and sync on Mac or Windows for uploading HQ or original quality images. The items that were uploaded in HQ will not count against the storage quota of the user’s account. The items uploaded using backup and sync in original quality to Google Drive and Photos will count as once towards the user’s quota. This is not going to change.

Does this Change Affect Storage and Space?

The items that were synced before July 10th will not take any extra space. After the change, you can expect the following changes:

  • As explained before, the photos or videos uploaded using backup & sync will not take up duplicate space.
  • If a user deletes one copy (from Drive or Photos), the other will continue to take the space in the respective service.
  • If a user uploads a photo or videos manually from Drive to Photos, it will take storage in both places.
  • Deleting photos or video in one service will not delete them in the other service.

Conclusion

Even though the change is introduced to simply things, some users still don’t seem happy. If you liked the integration because you didn’t have to worry about maintaining physical backup, say goodbye to that peace of mind.

But’s let’s focus on the bright side. At least we won’t be losing any precious memories by accident!