Google Photos adds scheduled exports amid storage tightening

Google Photos now offers a built-in scheduler that automatically copies newly added photos and videos to a destination of your choice. This feature targets ‘newly-added content’ rather than the entire library.¹

Storage pressure drives new tools

Google’s storage ecosystem is under strain. The company reports that users add more than 4.3 million GB of data across Gmail, Drive, and Photos each day. Every account still receives a free 15 GB quota shared among those services, and once that quota is exceeded, new uploads are blocked until additional space is purchased. A June 2021 policy change treats ‘High Quality’ photos the same as original-quality files, counting them against the 15 GB limit.²³⁴⁵⁶ Accounts inactive for two years risk deletion of their media.³⁶

The storage changes are driven by an explosion of user-generated content. Google’s storage infrastructure has to keep pace with the growing demand. To continue providing a seamless experience, Google must balance storage capacity with user needs.

The pressure on storage has led to a significant increase in the number of users exceeding their storage quota. As a result, Google is introducing new features to help users manage their storage more efficiently. The scheduled export feature is one such tool that allows users to automatically export their newly added photos and videos to an external storage service.¹⁷

Collections view replaces Library tab

Google is reshaping the Photos front-end. The legacy Library tab is being retired in favor of a new Collections view that aggregates private albums, shared albums, and automatically generated folders.⁸ This shift changes how users locate and manage their content.

The Collections view aims to simplify content discovery. By grouping albums and folders in one place, users can more easily find the photos and videos they need. The change also paves the way for future features, such as Google’s Gemini-powered Ask Photos.

The Collections view is designed to make it easier for users to find and manage their content. With the new view, users can quickly locate specific albums or folders and perform actions on them. This change is expected to improve the overall user experience and make it easier for users to get the most out of Google Photos.

API deprecation reshapes developer workflows

The Google Photos Library API will drop certain scopes after a specified deadline. Google Photos is also introducing a new Photos Picker API. Developers must audit their integrations against the upcoming API sunset to avoid broken workflows.

The API changes reflect Google’s efforts to refine its developer ecosystem. By streamlining APIs and deprecating unused scopes, Google aims to improve the overall developer experience. However, developers must adapt to the changes to ensure their applications remain functional.

The API deprecation is expected to have a significant impact on developers who rely on the Google Photos Library API. Developers must review their integrations and make necessary changes to ensure that their applications continue to function as expected.

What this means

The scheduled export feature reduces friction for users who treat Google Photos as a de-facto backup. The UI shift to Collections changes how users locate content for export. Users can now more easily find and export specific albums or folders.

The scheduled export feature also benefits users who need to mirror their Google Photos library on external storage. By automating the export process, users save time and effort.¹

The introduction of the scheduled export feature and the Collections view reflects Google’s efforts to improve the Google Photos experience. As the storage landscape continues to evolve, users and developers must stay informed to ensure a seamless experience.

What to watch

Watch for the rollout of the export scheduler¹ and monitor Google’s storage-policy reminder emails. Track the migration timeline for the Photos Library API to ensure custom backup scripts remain functional.

As Google continues to evolve its storage policies and APIs, users and developers must stay informed. By monitoring updates and adapting to changes, users and developers can ensure a seamless experience.

Industry context

Google Photos operates in a competitive market, with services like Amazon Prime Photos, Microsoft OneDrive, and Dropbox offering similar features.⁵ The storage wars are heating up, with each provider vying for user loyalty.

The demand for cloud storage is driven by the proliferation of mobile devices and the growing need for data backup. As users generate more content, storage providers must scale their infrastructure to meet demand.

The cloud storage market is highly competitive, with several major players vying for market share. Google Photos is one of the leading cloud storage services, and it must continue to innovate and improve its features to remain competitive.

History of storage policy changes

Google has been refining its storage policies over the years. In 2021, the company introduced changes to its storage quotas, affecting users who relied on the free storage tier.²³⁴⁵⁶ The latest changes reflect Google’s efforts to balance storage capacity with user needs.²⁴

Google’s storage policy changes are designed to ensure that users have a seamless experience and that the company can continue to provide a high-quality service. The changes are also intended to encourage users to manage their storage more efficiently and to consider purchasing additional storage if needed.²

Technical mechanics

The scheduled export feature works by automatically copying newly added photos and videos to a designated destination.¹ The feature targets specific content, rather than the entire library.¹

The Collections view is built on top of Google’s existing infrastructure. The new view aggregates albums and folders, making it easier for users to find content.⁸

The scheduled export feature is designed to be easy to use and flexible. Users can choose to export their content to a variety of destinations, including external hard drives and cloud storage services.

Downstream implications

The scheduled export feature benefits users who rely on Google Photos as a backup service. The feature reduces friction and saves users time.

The API changes will have a downstream impact on developers who rely on the Google Photos Library API. Developers must adapt to the changes to ensure their applications remain functional.

The introduction of the scheduled export feature and the Collections view is expected to have a significant impact on users and developers. Users will benefit from the improved user experience and the ability to easily export their content. Developers will need to adapt to the API changes to ensure that their applications continue to function as expected.

Conclusion

The introduction of the scheduled export feature and the Collections view reflect Google’s efforts to improve the Google Photos experience. As the storage landscape continues to evolve, users and developers must stay informed to ensure a seamless experience.

The scheduled export feature and the Collections view are significant updates to Google Photos, and they are expected to have a major impact on users and developers. By providing more flexibility and control over their content, Google is making it easier for users to get the most out of Google Photos.

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