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Google Photos and Google Drive have a shared storage limit, which is 15 GB for free users. This means that the total storage space used by both services will be combined to determine the overall storage limit.
If you're a free user, any storage used by Google Photos will count towards your 15 GB limit, and any storage used by Google Drive will also count towards it. This can be a bit tricky to manage, especially if you have a lot of files stored in both services.
To give you a better idea, let's say you have 10 GB of storage used by Google Photos and 5 GB of storage used by Google Drive. In this case, you would have 15 GB of storage used in total, and you wouldn't be able to store any more files until some space is freed up.
Does Google Photos and Google Drive Share Storage?
Google Photos and Google Drive share a common cloud storage, which is 15 GB of free storage space. This storage is equally divided among Google Drive, Gmail, and Google Photos.
You can purchase additional storage if you run out of space, but this is one of the few common features between the two services.
In the past, Google Drive and Google Photos were linked in a way that allowed for automatic syncing of files and photos. However, Google changed this in July 2019.
Here's what you need to know about the recent change:
- Files and photos are no longer automatically synced between Google Drive and Google Photos.
- Uploading new photos to Google Photos will not automatically sync them to Google Drive.
- Deleting photos or videos on Google Photos will not automatically delete them from other Google services.
- The 15 GB of free storage space is still shared equally among Google Drive, Gmail, and Google Photos.
Understanding Google Photos
Google Photos is an image storage and sharing service that synchronizes photos on all devices where the user is accessing the Google account. This is achieved because all the images/videos are saved in the cloud, and each device shows the data accessed from the cloud.
Google Photos can recognize photos based on their properties like beach, road, shop, and even specific events like weddings. The user can search the images based on three search criteria – People, Places, and Things.
The algorithm of Photos scans the photos for similar faces and puts them together in the People category. This feature is especially useful for organizing large collections of photos.
To recognize locations in the photographs, Google Photos uses the geotagging feature to determine the location. For example, if you took a photo in front of the statue of liberty and later saved it in Photos, it will recognize that place.
Google Photos offers three storage settings – Original Quality, High Quality, and Express Quality. Original quality saves images and video with their actual resolution.
Here are the key features of Google Photos:
With Google Photos, you can keep your photos, videos, and GIFs safe online. If you're storing 16 MP photos and 1080 p videos, you can access unlimited storage space on Google Photos.
Storage Sharing Options
You can stop sharing your storage with your family by toggling the "Share Google One with your family" button to off in the Google One app.
If you do this, your family members will no longer be able to access the additional storage, but their existing files will remain safe.
They will not be able to store anything new, as Google has a policy in place to prevent this.
Sharing Family Storage
Sharing Family Storage is a great way to declutter your home and save some money. According to the article, family members can share storage space to reduce clutter and free up space in their homes.
Renting a storage unit can be expensive, with costs ranging from $50 to $150 per month, depending on the location and size of the unit. This can be a significant expense for families who are already struggling to make ends meet.
To avoid this expense, families can consider sharing storage space with neighbors or friends who live nearby. This can be a convenient and cost-effective solution for families who need to store items temporarily.
Some families may be hesitant to share storage space with others due to concerns about security and access. However, many storage facilities offer secure and accessible storage options, such as 24/7 access and on-site security cameras.
Sharing family storage can also be a great way to teach children about responsibility and the importance of keeping a tidy home. By involving children in the process of organizing and maintaining shared storage space, families can model healthy habits and encourage a sense of ownership and accountability.
Stop App Storage Sharing
You can stop sharing your storage through the Google One app on Android or iOS by toggling the "Share Google One with your family" button to off.
If you stop sharing, your family members will no longer be able to access the additional storage you've shared with them. However, they won't lose any existing files they've already stored.
If your family members have used up all their personal storage, their existing files will remain safe, but they won't be able to store anything new. Google has a helpful explanation of what this means.
To stop sharing, you just need to toggle the "Share Google One with your family" button to off, and that's it.
Choosing the Right Option
Google Photos is ideal for personal use, while Google Drive is geared towards corporate use. This means you can share files in Photos, but it's only suitable for small businesses.
The types of files you plan to work with also play a significant role in your decision. If you're mostly working with images, Photos will help you find them quickly by time stamps, geographic locations, and even people in the photo.
Google Drive, on the other hand, is better suited for an extensive range of files. It has an advanced search function, although not as powerful as Photos.
Sharing files and folders is also a crucial factor to consider. Google Drive allows you to customize the rules for sharing files and folders, making it easier to manage access for different users and workgroups.
Google Photos offers similar settings, but you'll have to select them manually for each file, folder, and user, which can be time-consuming and unproductive.
Sources
- https://blog.pics.io/google-photos-vs-google-drive-what-is-the-difference/
- https://www.howtogeek.com/share-google-one-storage-with-family/
- https://www.nucleustechnologies.com/blog/google-drive-vs-google-photos/
- https://driveuploader.com/blog/google-drive-versus-google-photos/
- https://www.tenorshare.com/cloud-merge/are-google-photos-stored-in-google-drive.html
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