How to Upload Photos to Google Photos

This guide walks you through getting your photos and videos into Google Photos from your phone, computer, or tablet. You’ll learn the quickest methods for each device, how to set up automatic backup, and what to do when uploads fail. No special skills are needed—just a Google account and a few minutes.

What You’ll Need

A Google account (free to create at accounts.google.com)
The Google Photos app installed on your phone or tablet (available for Android and iOS)
Internet connection (Wi-Fi recommended for large uploads)
For computer uploads: a web browser (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge) or the Google Drive desktop app (optional)

Step-by-Step

On an Android Phone or Tablet

Open the Google Photos app. If you don’t have it, download it from the Google Play Store.
Sign in with your Google account if prompted.
Tap your profile picture (top right corner) and select “Turn on backup” if you haven’t set it up yet. This automatically uploads all photos and videos on your device to Google Photos.
To manually upload specific photos: tap the “Library” tab at the bottom, then tap “Camera” or “Device folders” to see your local photos.
Long-press the first photo you want to upload, then tap each additional photo to select them.
Tap the “Upload” icon (a cloud with an up arrow) at the top right. The photos will be uploaded to your Google Photos library.

On an iPhone or iPad

Open the Google Photos app (download from the App Store if needed).
Sign in with your Google account.
Tap your profile picture and select “Turn on backup” to enable automatic uploads.
For manual uploads: tap the “Library” tab, then tap “Camera” or “Device folders”.
Tap “Select” in the top right, then tap the photos you want to upload.
Tap the “Upload” icon (cloud with up arrow) at the top right.

On a Computer (Web Browser)

Go to photos.google.com and sign in with your Google account.
Click the “Upload” button (a cloud with an up arrow) at the top right of the page.
Choose “Computer” from the drop-down menu.
Select the photos or folders you want to upload from your computer’s file browser.
Click “Open” or “Upload” to start the upload. You’ll see a progress bar in the bottom left corner.

Using Google Drive (Desktop App)

Install and sign in to the Google Drive desktop app (Backup and Sync or Drive for desktop) on your computer.
In the app settings, look for the “Google Photos” option and enable “Upload to Google Photos”.
Choose the folders you want to automatically back up to Google Photos.
Photos added to those folders will appear in Google Photos automatically.

Common Mistakes

Not enabling backup: Many users assume photos are automatically saved, but backup must be turned on first.
Uploading from the wrong folder: On phones, photos might be in a “WhatsApp” or “Screenshots” folder that isn’t backed up by default. Check “Device folders” to include them.
Running out of storage: If your Google account storage is full, uploads will fail. Check your storage in Google Photos settings.
Deleting photos before they upload: If you delete a photo from your device before the upload completes, it may be lost forever.
Using cellular data: Uploading over mobile data can consume your data plan quickly. Set backup to Wi-Fi only if you have limited data.

Tips

Use “Free up space” in Google Photos to delete photos that are already backed up from your device, saving local storage.
Choose upload quality: “Storage saver” compresses photos to save space (good for most users), while “Original quality” keeps full resolution but uses more storage.
Organize with albums: After uploading, select photos and tap “Add to album” to keep things tidy.
Use Google Photos’ search: You can search for “beach” or “dog” and Google Photos will find matching photos automatically.
Enable “Backup & sync” on your phone to ensure new photos are uploaded automatically.

Troubleshooting

Uploads fail or get stuck: Check your internet connection and try again. If the issue persists, restart the app or browser. Clear the app’s cache (Android: Settings > Apps > Google Photos > Storage > Clear Cache).

Photos are not appearing after upload: Wait a few minutes—large uploads take time. Refresh the page or close and reopen the app. Check that you’re signed in to the correct account.

Storage full error: Go to Google Photos settings > “Manage storage” to see what’s taking up space. Delete unwanted photos or videos, or free up space in your Google account by clearing Gmail attachments or Drive files.

Backup not working on phone: Open Google Photos, tap your profile picture, then “Backup” and check if it says “Backup paused” or “Waiting for Wi-Fi”. Adjust the settings to allow cellular data or connect to Wi-Fi.

Photos upload as “Original quality” unexpectedly: Check your backup settings—you may have selected Original quality instead of Storage saver. Change it in Settings > “Backup” > “Upload size”.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How do I upload photos from my computer to Google Photos?
A: Go to photos.google.com, click the “Upload” button (cloud with up arrow), select “Computer”, and choose the photos you want to upload.

Q: Does Google Photos upload automatically?
A: Yes, if you turn on “Backup” in the app settings. It will automatically upload photos from your device’s camera roll and selected folders.

Q: What is the difference between “Storage saver” and “Original quality”?
A: “Storage saver” compresses photos to a slightly lower resolution (but still high quality for most uses) and doesn’t count against your Google account storage. “Original quality” keeps the exact file but uses your storage quota.

Q: Can I upload photos without using storage?
A: Yes, if you choose “Storage saver” quality, photos are compressed and stored for free (as long as you’re not over the free 15 GB limit for other Google services). Original quality photos count against your storage.

Q: How do I upload photos from my iPhone to Google Photos?
A: Install the Google Photos app, sign in, and either enable backup or manually select photos and tap the upload icon (cloud with up arrow).

Q: Can I upload photos from Google Drive to Google Photos?
A: Yes, you can download photos from Drive and upload them to Google Photos, or use the “Backup and Sync” desktop app to sync folders to both services. There’s no direct transfer feature, but you can also use Google Takeout to move files.

General steps for current mainstream versions; menus can differ by device and version. See the disclaimer or report an error.

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