zlacker

>>birdcu+(OP)
I never even used Google Photos (because, you know), so if somebody could explain more concretely: how do you use it? Is it actually a backup app (and if so, is it really much different from using a generic backup app or even just syncthing), or does it somehow magically allow you to keep the preview gallery and search on your device, while your actual 200 GB of photos are somewhere in the cloud and the local storage is basically just auto-managed cache, where everything you didn't access in the last 6 months gets deleted? Does it preserve all this additional data Android cameras add, like HDR, video fragments before photos, does it handle photospheres well, etc? I'm asking because I don't even fully understand how the camera app handles it itself, and if all the data is fully portable.

FWIW, I also don't use any fancy collection management and barely understand what all these Lightrooms and XMP files are for. Maybe I should, but up to this day photos for me are just a bunch of files in the folder, that I sometimes manually group into subfolders like 2025-09, mostly to make it easier on thumbnail-maker.

>>krick+yAj
Key features that matter to me: 1) backup from android or iOS. This helps when I have switched phones over the years. 2) shared albums with family or friends where invited people can both see and contribute photos. Think kids albums, weddings, holidays. 3) ability to re-download at full resolution

>>killin+HBj
1) You don't have backups of other data on your phone (chat history, 2FA secrets and private keys, text notes, anki cards, game progress, configuration of all apps, etc.)? I had assumed everyone who cares about their data has backups of their data anyway, so that's not really a selling point to install another app for

2) that's nice!

3) "it doesn't throw my data away" is the last selling point?! Isn't that just assumed?!

>>lucb1e+4Nk
1) I do have separate backups, as well as this, which runs more frequently (after picture is taken) vs daily for device backup

3) not compared to iCloud photos which I migrated from. You can export a whole album with Google at original quality with 1 click. With Apple you can only do 1000 at a time. For apple you can ask for a whole account export, but that takes a few days and gives you all photos. (Similar to Google Takeout).