Abstract
- The Google Photos app is getting a storage-saving option that was previously exclusive to the web interface.
- The feature will allow you to reduce the size of all large media files with a few taps.
- It’s not clear when the option will appear, but it’s expected to be soon.
The Google Photos Android app is getting a new option to help users save storage space. As multiple sources have reported, Google Photos mobile users will soon have the option to reduce the size and quality of their backed-up media all at once, potentially greatly reducing the storage space of Google accounts using Photos.
Android Authority was the first to reveal evidence of the upcoming APK teardown feature. AA found several strings in the code for the Google Photos app for Android that relate to space-saving features for photos, which are currently only available through the service’s web interface. Not long after, PiunikaWeb posted a more detailed look at the feature in action, thanks to Google’s prolific AssembleDebug tool.
It looks like the feature will work on mobile the same way it does on the desktop web interface. Once the feature is live, you’ll see a new option in the Google Photos app Storage management settings marked Turn photos into space savers. As with the existing iteration of the feature, choosing to convert your photos and videos will permanently replace the originally uploaded media with scaled-down versions — all photos will be scaled down to 16MP and videos to 1080p. As Photos warns, you can’t get those originals back once you’ve converted them, so be careful.
It’s an all or nothing option
You cannot selectively shrink your photos
Frustratingly, in both the current web app implementation and the upcoming Android app feature rollout, choosing to downsize your photos and videos to save space is an all-or-nothing proposition. You can’t choose which photos to compress and keep others at full size, so the option may not appeal to users who have some photos they want to keep in their original quality and others they’d rather shrink.
It’s not clear when this option will appear, but it looks like AssembleDebug has managed to get the feature up and running and it’s almost ready for public release.
This was a big day for Photos. Google announced earlier today that Google Photos AI-powered Magic Editor feature, once exclusive to Pixel phones, is coming to all phones in a limited capacity. While Pixel users will still enjoy full access to the Magic Editor, other devices will only be able to save 10 Magic Editor-edited photos per month — though they’ll pay for the Google One Premium plan (starting at $10 per month for a plan with two terabytes of storage in cloud) will allow seamless access to the Magic Editor on any device.
Google’s AI Magic Editor is coming to all devices for free, but there’s a catch
Pixel users get full access, but everyone else only gets 10 saves