Google Photos is a fantastic way to run into your photos and the powerful search makes it piece of cake to notice pictures of certain people, places or times. Before 1 June 2021, Google did offering unlimited free storage for photos. Now, things take changed.

Y'all only get 15GB of Google storage in total, which counts files on your Google Bulldoze and Gmail, too equally Google Photos. Therefore, if you want to upload more than photos and videos that volition have your limit past 15GB, you'll need to buy more storage with Google One.

In that location'southward 4 tiers of storage currently on Google Ane. These are:

  • fifteen GB - Free
  • 100 GB - £1.59 per calendar month/£15.99 per year
  • 200 GB - £2.49 per month/£24.99 per year
  • 2 TB - £7.99 per month/£79.99 per year

Sadly, no unlimited storage choice is currently bachelor. You'll have to look at other Cloud storage options if you desire that. You can also brand more room for photos and video by immigration out large files on your Google Drive.

At that place's no need to worry well-nigh existing files from before i June, every bit these photos will remain on Google's servers and won't exist deleted or blocked if you lot don't pay - that's a mutual misconception.

If, like me, you have a photo library full of pictures you took prior to owning a smartphone, chances are they're sabbatum on a hard bulldoze somewhere. Google hasn't made it easy to upload them, only here'southward are two means to upload every unmarried photograph, one of which is automatic.

Upload to Google Photos via a web browser

Earlier I go to the best style, here'southward the obvious way: caput to photos.google.com and click on Upload.

How to upload to Google Photos from Windows

Unfortunately, the like shooting fish in a barrel way won't work for most people because the Upload option in Google Photos will but upload the contents of a single binder.

Almost people continue their photos in multiple folders so they have 'albums' for different occasions. Unless you're willing to go through dozens or even hundreds of folders and copy – or motility – those photos into a single binder, you won't be able to use this selection.

Yous could laboriously use the Upload button for each binder yous have but, again, that'south impractical if you have a hundred or more.

TIP: Before you upload all your photos, upload one or two and cheque that Google Photos can correctly identify when they were taken. Otherwise, you lot'll accept a tough time finding them again.

In one case uploaded, you should be able to enter the date it was taken, such every bit '22 May 2000' and all photos from that engagement should be shown. If not, search for the exact filename of the photo you but uploaded, and Google Photos should show it. Click the i symbol at the superlative and you'll see the info for that photo.

How to upload to Google Photos

If in that location is a problem and the 'appointment taken' isn't identified correctly, you'll need to utilize a tool to edit this metadata.

One time you've hit the limit of what you tin can upload, Google will inform you. If you need more space, you tin can get a premium Google One account.

Upload to Google Photos via Fill-in & Sync

And then we come up to the best choice for uploading your whole photo library to Google Photos. It involves downloading Google'due south Backup & Sync utility, choosing a folder or folders to sync, and then leaving information technology to upload the photos, every bit well equally whatever videos in those folders.

If those folders happen to be on a NAS drive every bit mine were, you lot may find you cannot select the root folder in Fill-in & Sync. The workaround is to create a folder within that (call information technology upload or whatever you like), then move all your folders of photos into that.

Here, pace by step, is how to go about installing Fill-in & Sync and uploading all those snaps to Google Photos.

Note: this just works for Windows computers and you'd need to install the Google Photos app on Android or iPhone if you lot desire to upload the camera roll from your phone. This guide is primarily aimed at those who've already done that and now want to upload photos stored on their Windows laptop or PC.

1. First, head to the Google Photos website https://photos.google.com/apps and click the Download button.

How to upload to Google Photos

ii. When the file is downloaded, click on it in your web browser, or navigate to the binder where downloaded files are stored – commonly Downloads. Double-click on the file (called installbackupandsync.exe) and click the GET STARTED button.

How to upload to Google Photos

3. You'll need to sign into your Google account, the 1 you use for Google Photos.

4. On the 'set up-up' screen, choose Back upwardly photos and videos.

How to upload to Google Photos

5. Next, you need to tell Backup & Sync which folders your photos are in. This could exist as elementary as clicking the box next to Pictures, simply if your photos are stored elsewhere, such as another folder on your hard bulldoze, on an external drive or on a NAS drive, click Cull FOLDER and navigate to it.

How to upload to Google Photos

You can sync multiple folders, just you tin can't select multiple folders at the aforementioned time.

6. Select the quality yous want for your photograph/video - Storage Saver takes upwardly less room, but compresses the file. Meanwhile Original Quality will not compress the files, but volition take up more storage in your quota.

vii. Click START and Backup & Sync will begin uploading photos and videos in the folder(s) you lot've chosen to Google Photos.

8. If you desire to check on progress, click the ^ symbol on the Windows Taskbar and click the little white deject symbol. Y'all'll see a scrolling list of the files being uploaded.

How to upload to Google Photos

How long it will take to upload all your photos and videos will depend on the total amount of data to be uploaded and the upload speed of your cyberspace connection, which is typically a lot slower than the download speed.

Leave your laptop or computer on while it's uploading the files. In my case, with a 16Mbps upload speed, it took around 24 hours to upload thirty,000 photos and videos from hundreds of folders on a NAS bulldoze.

Once again, the amount you'll be able to upload will depend on the amount of storage you take in your Google One business relationship.

Related articles for further reading

  • All-time alternatives to Google Photos
  • What to do when Google Photos costless storage ends
  • How to download all your photos from Google Photos in one get