Big changes just rolled out to Google Photos. The service, which has since 2015 offered complimentary photograph uploads, will now count every pic you upload against your Google account storage cap. Y'all tin can save photos as original quality or "high," only they both have upward space. Unless you've still got a first-gen Pixel. Google pledged to offer costless photo backups for life on that phone, and it's holding to that. Here's how you can utilise the 2016 Pixel to keep the free upload gravy railroad train running.

Pace 1, of course, is to make sure y'all've got the necessary hardware. If yous've got a circa-2016 Pixel or Pixel XL hiding in your cupboard, dandy. If not, you can snag a used device for $100 or less effectually the cyberspace. Information technology'due south fine if the device has seen some wear and tear—it'll nonetheless upload photos just fine.

While the upload limits for other phones are changing, the unlimited upload guarantee remains in identify for the OG Pixels. And then, any images yous snap with that old simply still surprisingly capable camera will upload in original quality without eating into your storage. But you don't want to carry a v-year-old telephone, right? Nosotros but need to motion photos from the phone on which they were taken over to the OG Pixel. When those pics upload, Google Photos treats them as if they were taken on the Pixel (i.e. they don't count against your cap).

You can move files manually betwixt phones if you like needlessly tedious things, but setting up a folder sync utility means the Pixel can merely live in a drawer someplace. At that place are numerous ways to sync files, but I'grand using an app called Resilio Sync. At that place'south a similar app chosen FolderSync that lots of people employ for similar tasks, only I've found Resilio to be faster and easier to set. You could also configure and run an FTP server on your Pixel if yous're the DIY sort.

You tin can connect your devices in Resilio by creating a share of the Camera folder on your non-Pixel, so scanning the resulting QR code on the Pixel. I like that the client codes only piece of work for a few days unless yous increase that limit yourself, and you lot can restrict access to sure WiFi networks. The files volition sync over to a new sub-directory on the Pixel when the phones can see each other, but information technology defaults to selective sync. Turn that off, and all new files should automatically sync every bit they're taken. There are a ton of advanced options to farther customize the app, too.

With folder synchronization fix, you can open Google Photos on the Pixel, and it will enquire if y'all want to sync the newly discovered folder. Confirm, and all those images will become right upwards to the cloud for free. Nosotros've tested this with a fresh Google account and can confirm photos and videos taken on a Milky way S21 Ultra are uploading from the Pixel in original quality and taking up zero infinite. It'due south possible Google volition change its mind and kill this workaround, but nosotros can only speculate on that.

Honestly, it's a lot easier to simply pay Google a few bucks for more storage, but this is the simplest way to leverage the Pixel loophole: new telephone to old phone to cloud. Direct app-to-app connections are ever at the mercy of Android'south background app handling, which can be aggressive on some phones. The Pixel can search for a connexion incessantly because information technology tin can remain plugged in. Even so, you might take to give the app on your new phone a kick every now and then so it doesn't lose background access. That'southward a small price to pay for unlimited photo storage.

Hitman Sniper: The Shadows blasts its way onto Android — hither's what the first 30 minutes await like

Does it stack up to the original?

Read Next

Near The Author

Ryan Whitwam (7171 Articles Published)

Ryan is a tech/science writer, skeptic, lover of all things electronic, and Android fan. In his spare time he reads golden-historic period sci-fi and sleeps, but rarely at the aforementioned time. His wife tolerates him every bit few would. He's the author of a sci-fi novel called The Crooked City, which is available on Amazon and Google Play.

More From Ryan Whitwam