Back up photos & videos

You can automatically save your photos and videos to your Google Account when you turn on backup. You can access your saved photos and videos from any device you’re signed into, but only you can find them unless you choose to share them. You can back up photos and videos to only one Google Account at a time. Learn how to fix backup issues.

Before you get started

What you need to back up photos & videos

Important: Your Google Account storage is shared across multiple products like Google Photos, Google Drive, and Gmail. If you've used all of your storage, you can either buy more storage or clean up your storage space.

  • Good internet connection.
  • File sizes that can be backed up:
    • Photos up to 200 MB or 200 MP.
    • Videos up to 10 GB.
    • Items must be larger than 256 x 256.
  • File types that can be backed up:
    • Photos: .jpg, .heic, .png, .webp, .gif, .avif, and most RAW files.
    • Videos: .mpg, .mod, .mmv, .tod, .wmv, .asf, .avi, .divx, .mov, .m4v, .3gp, .3g2, .mp4, .m2t, .m2ts, .mts, and .mkv files.
  • File formats that can be backed up:
    • 10-bit HDR videos.
    • Topshot (Pixel only).
    • Slow-mo.
    • Depth videos.
    • Motion photos.
    • Live photos when you use the Google Photos app on your iPhone or iPad.

If you try to back up a file type not listed here, it may not work with Google Photos.

Types of RAW files you can back up
Canon
EOS-1D X Mark III, EOS-1D X Mark II, EOS-1D X, EOS-1Ds Mark III, EOS-1Ds Mark II, EOS-1D Mark IV, EOS-1D Mark III, EOS-1D Mark II, EOS-1D C, EOS-1D Mark II N, EOS 5D Mark IV, EOS 5D Mark III, EOS 5D Mark II, EOS 5D, EOS 5Ds, EOS 5Ds R, EOS R5, EOS 6D Mark II, EOS 6D, EOS R6, EOS R, EOS Ra, EOS RP, EOS 7D Mark II, EOS 7D, EOS 90D, EOS 80D, EOS 70D, EOS 60D, EOS 60Da, EOS 50D, EOS 40D, EOS 30D, EOS 20D, EOS 20Da, EOS 9000D (EOS 77D), EOS 8000D (EOS REBEL T6S/EOS 760D), EOS Kiss X10i (EOS REBEL T8i/EOS 850D), EOS Kiss X9i (EOS REBEL T7i/EOS 800D), EOS Kiss X8i (EOS REBEL T6i/EOS 750D), EOS Kiss X7i (EOS REBEL T5i/EOS 700D), EOS Kiss X6i (EOS REBEL T4i/EOS 650D), EOS Kiss X10 (EOS REBEL SL3/EOS 250D/EOS 200D II), EOS Kiss X9 (EOS REBEL SL2/EOS 200D), EOS Kiss X7 (EOS REBEL SL1/EOS 100D), EOS Kiss X5 (EOS REBEL T3i/EOS 600D), EOS Kiss X4 (EOS REBEL T2i/EOS 550D), EOS Kiss X3 (EOS REBEL T1i/EOS 500D), EOS Kiss X2 (EOS DIGITAL REBEL XSi/EOS 450D), EOS Kiss X90 (EOS REBEL T7/EOS 2000D/EOS 1500D), EOS Kiss X80 (EOS REBEL T6/EOS 1300D), EOS Kiss X70 (EOS REBEL T5/EOS 1200D), EOS Kiss X50 (EOS REBEL T3/EOS 1100D), EOS Kiss F (EOS DIGITAL REBEL XS/EOS 1000D), EOS Kiss Digital X (EOS DIGITAL REBEL XTi/EOS 400D DIGITAL), EOS Kiss Digital N (EOS DIGITAL REBEL XT/EOS 350D DIGITAL), EOS Kiss M (EOS M50), EOS M6 Mark II, EOS M6, EOS M5, EOS M3, EOS M2, EOS M, EOS M10, EOS M200, EOS M100, PowerShot G9 X Mark II, PowerShot G9 X, PowerShot G7 X Mark III, PowerShot G7 X Mark II, PowerShot G7 X, PowerShot G5 X Mark II, PowerShot G5 X, PowerShot G3 X, PowerShot G1 X Mark III, PowerShot G1 X Mark II, PowerShot G1 X, PowerShot G16, PowerShot G15, PowerShot G12, PowerShot G11, PowerShot G10, PowerShot S120, PowerShot S110, PowerShot S100, PowerShot S95, PowerShot S90, PowerShot SX70 HS, PowerShot SX60 HS, PowerShot SX50 HS, PowerShot SX1 IS
Fuji
X100
Nikon
1AW1, 1J1, 1J2, 1J3, 1J4, 1S1, 1S2, 1V1, 1V2, 1V3, D3, D3X, D4, D4S, D40, D40X, D50, D60, D70, D70s, D80, D90, D200, D300, D300s, D600, D610, D700, D750, D800, D800E, D810, D3000, D3100, D3200, D3300, D5000, D5100, D5200, D5300, D5500, D7000, D7100, D7200, Df
Coolpix: A, P7800
Olympus
E-M1, E-M5, E-M10, E-P1, E-P2, E-P3, E-P5, E-PL3, E-PL5, E-PL7, OM-D E-M5 Mark II
Panasonic
CM1, FZ300, G70, GF1, GF3, GF5, GF7, GH3, GH4, GM1, GM5, GX1, GX8, LX5, LX7, LX100
Sony
A7, A7R, A7S, A7 Mark II, A55, A58, A65, A77, A77 Mark II, A99, A700, A3000, A5000, A5100, A6000, QX1, NEX-5, NEX-5N, NEX-5R, NEX-6, NEX-7, NEX-C3, NEX-F3, RX1, RX1R, RX10, RX10 Mark II, RX100, RX100 Mark II, RX100 Mark III, RX100 Mark IV
DNG files
Most .dng formats

Upload items to Google Photos from your browser

  1. On your computer, open photos.google.com.
  2. At the top right, select Upload and then Computer.
  3. Find and select your photos.
  4. Select Open.

Tip: You can also drag photos from your computer to the album to upload them to Google Photos. If you drag a photo to a specific album, the photo will be uploaded to that album.

Upload from Drive for desktop

Option 1: Set up Google Drive for desktop
  1. On your computer, download and install Google Drive for desktop.
  2. Open Google Drive for desktop Drive.
  3. Sign in to your Google Account.
  4. To learn how to set your preferences, select Take tour.
    • To take the tour at any time later, select Help and then What's new.
Option 2: Add folders from your computer
  1. Open Google Drive for desktop Drive.
  2. Select Open Preferences and then Add Folder.
  3. Select the folder that you want to back up to Google Photos.
  4. Add a checkmark next to "Back up to Google Photos."
  5. Select Done and then Save.
How Google Photos works with Google Drive for desktop
  • If they're backed up to Google Photos, photos and videos removed from your computer stay in Google Photos.
  • If you remove a photo or video from Google Photos, it isn't removed from Google Drive or your computer.
  • We recommend you back up photos and videos to Google Photos. Backing up to both Google Photos and Google Drive stores copies of the photos and videos in Drive. This can slow your upload time and uses more storage.
Back up your Apple Photo Library (Mac only)
If your computer runs macOS, you can back up your System Photo Library to Google Photos.
  1. On your computer, open Drive for desktop Drive.
  2. Select Settings and then Preferences.
  3. At the top right, select Settings .
  4. Scroll to "Google Photos."
  5. Select System Photo Library.
  6. Turn on Upload photos and videos to Google Photos.
  7. Select Done.
Tips:
  • If you have more than one Apple Photos Library, only the System Photo Library is backed up. You can change your System Photo Library in Apple Photos.
  • If your Apple Photos Library is synced with iCloud, all photos and videos in your library and cloud are backed up to Google Photos on macOS 10.15 and above.

Check where your photos & videos were uploaded from

In Google Photos, you can check how you uploaded your photos and videos.

  1. On your computer, open photos.google.com.
  2. Click a photo or video.
  3. At the top right, click Info Info.
  4. Next to File upload , you'll find which source uploaded your photo or video. For example, "Uploaded from Android device" or "Uploaded from Google Drive."
    • File upload won't show if we don't know the upload source.

Check a photo's or video's backup status

  1. On your computer, open photos.google.com.
  2. Click a photo or video.
  3. At the top right, click Info Info.
  4. Under Backed up , the backup status and size of your photo or video displays.

Learn what happens when you back up your photos

If you have backup turned on:

  • Find photos from your phone: On your computer, you can find photos and videos that you take on your phone or mobile device. Learn how to turn on backup.

If you’ve backed up your content manually or automatically:

  • Automatic sync: You can find any photos you take and any edits you make to them on any device you sign in to. If you edit and save a photo on your phone, the photo is the same on photos.google.com.
  • Fast and powerful search: You can search your photos by the people in them when you turn on Face Groups. You can also search by places and items in the photos. No tagging is required.
  • Automatic creations: With automatically created highlight videos, collages, animations, and panoramas, you can bring your photos to life.

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