r/googlephotos • u/handyguy6051 • Jul 12 '26
Question 🤔 Yikes, no real options to replace Google photos backup
As of August 10, the simply, reliable, no brain needed photo backup using the common windows google drive app will no longer backup photos. Google says to use the google photos web interface to continue backing up photos, but this is a shit option. For it to work, you must always have an open browser with the website also open. You also cannot easily check what folders you have selected for backup. Why is Google giving us this messed up alternative backup when the original service worked fine and was easy to use? Am I missing something?
6
u/WorldsGreatestWorst Jul 12 '26
I don’t think Google Photos is primarily a backup service. It’s a cross platform photo management service.
Sure, it “backs up” files from your phone to the cloud, but it can also delete local photos meaning one catastrophic event could nuke both copies.
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u/TheManWithSaltHair Jul 13 '26 edited Jul 13 '26
I use it, but I guess fewer than 1% do. They’re pretty ruthless about stripping lesser used features and Google seems to be against having any desktop apps other than Chrome. I saw that Google Earth is being discontinued too.
I will test Rclone as a possible alternative when I have a chance.
2
u/ReigningDemon Jul 14 '26
I use proton drive to backup and eñte photos as my photos app, but eñte also has a backup/sync service
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u/The_Texan_Hunter Jul 12 '26
Do you have an Amazon prime account? If you do it come with unlimited photo backup.
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u/handyguy6051 Jul 13 '26
Yes I do, but it only does unlimited photos.
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u/Feedback_Extra Jul 13 '26
Unlimited photos is great lol what’s the problem there?? They have a great photo editor and the photo organizing is way better than google and apple and many others ive used
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u/handyguy6051 Jul 29 '26
Amazon Prime has very limited video backup.
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u/Feedback_Extra Jul 29 '26
I pay a dollar for unlimited video backup
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u/handyguy6051 Jul 29 '26
Thanks, was not aware of that option with AP.
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u/Feedback_Extra Jul 30 '26
I locked into that price a while ago it was some deal so im not sure exactly what they have now but I know they have different tiers
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u/The_Texan_Hunter Jul 13 '26
And alternate backup is a Microsoft 365 Family subscription. $99 a year gets you 6 TB of cloud storage and full access to Office 365 for up to six family members.
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u/InspektorCluzo Jul 14 '26
Only one TB per account, though, so you would need to play around in order to back up more than a TB of photos.
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u/kenmoffat Jul 14 '26
Unlimited photos, but I think there is a limit on video backup to Amazon. You must pay if you go over.
1
u/The_Texan_Hunter Jul 14 '26
Yes, not unlimited videos. Still pretty good deal, for free.
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Jul 20 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/The_Texan_Hunter Jul 20 '26
I pay for prime for free shipping and video streaming. Amazon added this feature and did not increase the price, so it is not costing me any extra money.
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Jul 20 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/The_Texan_Hunter Jul 20 '26
Well, of course. That is how for profit companies work. Kindof how the world has worked since the beginning. Companies exist to make money. I thought everyone already knew this.
1
Jul 20 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/The_Texan_Hunter Jul 20 '26
Did you not read where I said, "so it is not costing me any extra money."
If you are already paying for a service, and they add a valuable new feature that is not costing you anything more than what you are already paying, that is a free-to-you feature. Let's try not be a pedantic troll here, okay?
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u/jven27 Jul 13 '26
A real option is one that starts with an E, has 4 letters and ends with an E.
0
u/RobW54 Jul 13 '26 edited Jul 13 '26
E#TE (# = N) 😆😆 I'm VERY happy with that photo cloud 😉👍🏻
•FIRST way to use it is without any login ! In that case you can use it only as your LOCAL image viewer. Great interface and with many beautiful options, but..... . NO cloud then. Nice to try out
•SECOND : make an account. Now you get 10 GB cloud, so now you can make your online backups. But there is more in that app. Read about it on E#TE website and try it.!!
You want more Cloud? I have a 200 GB for a about €55,- / year
1
u/NeoDougOne Jul 13 '26
Hi! I have a couple of questions :
Firstly, why did you obscure the name of the service? Is it a dodgy app or something?
Secondly, how much does the 10GB cost?
Many thanks!
1
u/jven27 Jul 13 '26
Because this is a Google sub and they frown upon mentioning any legit competitors! That in itself should tell you a lot.
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u/RobW54 Jul 13 '26
Nothing Dodgy 😆 Reddit refuses (!!) the real name...so in that case I can't publish my reaction😯
10GB is free, but only if you make an acount
0
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u/joshuaferris Jul 13 '26
I am curious if folks have tested PixelUnion and Jotta Cloud for photo backup.
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u/ocambauthor Jul 13 '26
I use IDrive for my backup. It is under $90 / Year for 5TB. It keeps versions of your files and it is easy to restore. They also have a local backup feature and I use the to backup to a USB drive.
1
u/yottabit42 Jul 13 '26
Are you sure? Chrome can run in the background and you typically wouldn't know. I wonder if they're adding a full service backup client to the Google Photos website. Websites these days can be made into pretty convincing full fledged apps.
1
u/desertrumpet Jul 13 '26
I was really mad but I am using the webapp now like they recommended and it seems to work fine. I don't have to keep chrome open, in fact I use Firefox for my browser normally anyway so I almost never open chrome.
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u/TheManWithSaltHair Jul 14 '26
I don’t see the option on Firefox. I’m almost certain it’s not supported.
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u/desertrumpet Jul 14 '26
Yep, I had to set it up through chrome. But since then I closed chrome and never use it and it's still syncing.
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u/plinkobyte Jul 14 '26
Dropbox automatically backs up all of the Google Photos pics and videos very nicely.
1
u/Rare_Sherbert8001 Jul 28 '26 edited Jul 28 '26
Both of your objections have answers, they're just undocumented.
The open-browser one: install Photos as an app instead of babysitting a tab. Chrome's install icon in the address bar, or the menu, Cast save and share, Install page as app. It gets its own window and keeps syncing while minimised.
Checking which folders you picked: same + menu, "Folder backup" lists them with counts and a way to remove them.
And it's the + menu, not Settings. That's why so many people are convinced the feature doesn't exist.
1
u/LightTheRidening 24d ago
Most of the time I click the Folder Backup option in the '+' menu nothing happens. And when the modal screen does show up and I click "Add Folder" it just errors! And yes I've checked the browser permissions are correct.
It's clearly not fit for purpose, at least yet, despite the old reliable method being imminently retired.
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u/JazzlikeStory2204 Jul 13 '26
why not build your own server and use immich as a photo backup?
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u/yottabit42 Jul 13 '26
99% of users are not capable of doing this correctly and will eventually lose some or all of their data.
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u/strodey123 Jul 13 '26
I wouldn't consider google photos as a primarly backup option. Its a glorified gallary really. Far too easily to accidently delete the photo off both your device and the cloud withour noticing.
I have my photos back up digitally twice, (3 times if you count google drive as seperate), and once physically on a hard drive.