How To Share Photos from Google Photos

Google Photos is just one of the many cloud services the Big G offers to keep us addicted to its products. I find this one of the more useful services though, especially the ability to automatically upload images from Android devices. You can also share photos from Google Photos and all sorts of other neat tricks.

You can also email photos, cast them onto your TV using Chromecast, edit images, and backup all your Android devices automatically. First, I’ll show you how to share photos from Google Photos so as not to bury the headline but then I’ll show you how to make more out of the photo-sharing service.

If you need the Google Photos app for iOS, get it here. Updated Android devices should already have it installed, but if for some reason you don’t have it, download it from the Google Play Store here. Desktop users can access Google Photos via your web browser.

How to share photos from Google Photos

Sharing photos from Google Photos is actually quite simple once you know how to do it. The method differs slightly depending on the platform you’re using.

Share photos from Google Photos using an Android device:

Open the Google Photos app on your device.

Select the media you want to share. You can select a single image, video, or album.

Select the Share icon at the bottom of the screen.

It is three dots joined by two lines in case you haven’t seen it before.

Select the Share option you need

Enter the contact, phone number, or email address of the person you want to share with.

This method will send either the image if the recipient is logged into their Google account or a link to the image if you shared via a phone number or email address. You can see whether the person has viewed the image or not because you receive a notification that they have accessed it.

Share on iOS

Share photos from Google Photos using an iOS device. First, install Google Photos using the link above if you haven’t already. Open the Google Photos app on your iOS device and follow these steps:

Select the image or video you want to share and open with Google Photos.

Select the Share icon at the bottom of the screen.

Select ‘Share to’

Copy and paste into an SMS, Facebook, Twitter, or whatever to share. You can also select Google+, Facebook, or Twitter directly from the slider menu to save time.

Share photos from Google Photos using your browser:

Open the Google Photos app in your browser and login if required.

Select the image or video you want to share.

Click the ‘Share’ icon in the upper right corner

Select the option you’d like to share it with or create a link.

Select your sharing method, Create a link, Facebook, or Twitter.

If you choose ‘Create a link,’ a popup box will appear with the link and the opportunity to copy and send the generated link.

If you chose Facebook or Twitter, a different popup box appears that prompts you to log in to your social network to share the image.

You can also maximize the image in question and select the share link from the top right. The same popup box appears as in step 5 above and the succeeding steps remain the same too.

Share an album in Google Photos

If you want to share a series of images from a vacation or something you can create an album and share the entire thing in much the same way.

Click on ‘Album’ on the left side

Open Google Photogs and select an album. If using the app, the album icon is in the bottom right. If using the web, it is on the left.

Select the album you want to share.

Select the three menu dots on the app and get the share link.

SMS or email the share link to your chosen recipient.

Managed shared images in Google Photos

If you’re a habitual sharer, it might be useful to know exactly what you shared, with whom and when. Fortunately, there’s a feature for that.

Using an app:

1. Open Google Photos and select the Albums icon in the bottom right.
2. Select the Shared album box in the next window.
3. Browse to see everything you have shared.
4. Deselect any that you no longer want to share.

Using the web:

1. Open Google Photos in your browser and login if prompted.
2. Select Albums from the left menu and Shared in the new window.
3. Select the image or album from the center box.
4. Select the three-dot menu in the top right and select Sharing options.
5. Toggle off Share to stop the image or album from being viewed by anyone else.

When someone shares with you on Google Photos

It is satisfying to be a giver but it is also nice to receive too. If someone shares an image or album with you, what happens? What does the recipient see when you share it with them?

Depending on the sharing method, you will receive an email with a link, a notification in Google Photos, or on your social network.

1. When you follow the link or click on the image, you will be taken to Google Photos.
2. You will then ‘join’ the album and have access to all images shared with you.
3. You can then browse as you see fit, download, or edit images.

The ability to share images using Google Drive is another valuable feature in a suite of useful apps. Not only can it share images with friends or family but it can also automatically back up images on your Android phone. This last feature alone makes it worthwhile getting to grips with the app. Integration with Google Drive and the ability to use your free storage to keep images safe is yet another reason to use it. After all, there’s no use paying for storage if you can get it for free!

Got any other Google Photos tips and tricks to share? Tell us about them below if you do!