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Sort and share all of the photos that you take on your smartphone or tablet

Sort and share all of the photos that you take on your smartphone or tablet

Vote: (36 votes)

Program license: Free

Developer: Google

Version: 6.76.0.616958475

Works under: Android

Vote:

Program license

(36 votes)

Free

Developer

Version

Google

6.76.0.616958475

Works under:

Android

Pros

  • Convenient way to backup your photos to the cloud.
  • Advanced catalog functions, including automatic recognition of objects in photos.
  • Great way to keep your photos all in one place.
  • Made by Google, ensuring continuous improvement and updates.

Cons

  • Limited photo editing capabilities.
  • Possible privacy concerns due to cloud-based storage of all images.

Google Photos is the latest official Google app that provides convenient photo backup, sharing, organizing and editing capabilities. It was released as a replacement to the previous Google + Photo app and has many interesting features worth checking out. As the app is an official product from the company behind the Android platform itself, you can expect a high standard of quality that is sometimes lacking in third-party products.

Powerful Cloud-Based Photo Management

The Google Photos app can fetch images found on your Android device, Picasa photo albums and Google Drive. This gives you the opportunity to have all of your photos in one gallery, regardless of how you took them. As all of your photos can be stored in the cloud, the app acts as a useful backup tool that prevents you from losing your photos in case something happens to the device they're stored on.

You can catalog your photos manually, but the app can also help you automate the process in many ways. It can group your photos according to the device they were taken on, the date and location. But what is truly impressive is that it takes advantage of Google's advanced photo recognition technology. It scans the image to determine what it shows and lets you search for photos in your gallery by their contents. For example, a query for "dog" will return any photos that show a dog and one for "airplane" shows all of your airplane photos. The technology behind this feature is still relatively new, so you can't expect it to be fully accurate at all times. However, it can recognize a variety of objects in a photo with surprising accuracy.

Other features of Google Photos include an image editor that lets you apply filters or make basic edits to your pictures, as well as a tool to create an animated GIF from several photos.

A Great App With Only a Few Drawbacks

The Google Photos app is one that technophiles will love, but its more advanced functions may appear a bit confusing to novice users. The built-in image editor works well, but only includes a few filters and editing features. Those looking for Photoshop-style editing capabilities will need to use a standalone app to work on their photos for now.

As the app is cloud-based, uploading photos to it and viewing those in a gallery will transfer data. If you use the app regularly, this may lead to using up your available mobile data quickly if you're not on a Wi-Fi network. Some users may be concerned about potential privacy issues, as all of the photos are stored remotely and using the app's automatic catalog feature requires giving Google access to see your pictures.

Pros

  • Convenient way to backup your photos to the cloud.
  • Advanced catalog functions, including automatic recognition of objects in photos.
  • Great way to keep your photos all in one place.
  • Made by Google, ensuring continuous improvement and updates.

Cons

  • Limited photo editing capabilities.
  • Possible privacy concerns due to cloud-based storage of all images.

Google Photos for Android is Google's photo album, packed with multiple features, including cataloging, cloud backup and storage, photo editor, and multiple viewing options.

The editor allows for a range of automatical color and sizing customizations. Photos can be turned into a collage or animation.

A specific feature that makes Google Photos unique is its smart technology. Cataloging and organizing are not only done according to the date and location photos are taken but also based on what objects or activities are in each photo. Photos can easily be found just by searching the keywords of what or who is in the photo.