How to Backup the Photos From Your Phone
UPDATE: Since this blog has been written, I now have a guide that goes through the entire process of taking better photos, editing, and organizing them on your phone and Google Photos. Find that guide here!
The bottom line…just DO IT.
Have you ever lost photos because your phone broke or you lost it? Chances are, if you have…you now backup your photos. Because it is really the worst possible thing ever. So the simple answer here, is just to do it. Even if you don’t have any sort of organization at all. Just get them on something! I’ll tell you how I do mine here, followed by another post on how I organize them!
Enter my BFF…Google Photos!
Go quick, download it now, login with your google credentials, and start backing up (it’ll take awhile if your phone is pretty full!)
Then continue reading this post while that takes care of getting your photo life together!
Google Photos can be done in the background if you want it to backup automatically, or only when you open the app (this is what I do!) The only problem with this is that you do have to remember to go into the app periodically to make sure the photos backup.
I have a couple reasons I do it this way.
#1: Battery life. Having anything work in the “background” of your phone sucks up all your battery life.
#2: I do it when I’m not actively using my phone so I can make sure each item backs up and I don’t miss any possible errors.
My first tip would really just be to do it right now. Don’t worry about any organization, albums, etc. just go get them backed up. Just in case! I’ve seen so many possible scenarios where you lose precious photos, and that’s not going to be you - because they’re going to be backed up!
Every couple days while laying in bed at night, or sitting at my desk, I remember to open the app and backup!
If you are ready for some organization here’s what I do:
Step 1: Go to www.google.com
Step 2: Click the grid in the upper right hand corner next to your photos, then click photos
Step 3: This is where ALL of your backed up photos are housed. You can scroll through and find whatever you need. But if you are ever needing something fast, or you are trying to get your photo organization under control. Go onto Step 4 below!
Step 4: Enter ALBUMS. The number one question I get when I show people this is what do you even make albums for, and my answer really is everything. Start creating albums of things you want to be able to find quickly. I have albums for each of my kids (I separate them into ages - like Larson 0-1, Larson 1-2, Larson 2-3), I have one for our family, our house, each of our extended families, our cabin, trips we’ve been on, my kids together, business stuff, everything!
At the end of every month, I backup the last week of my photos that I haven’t already done (the app will remember for you. Just open it up and drag the screen down and it will backup everything that isn’t already done!)
Once the backup is done, I open my computer and got through the steps above. Then I just start organizing! If something fits in two albums, then put it in two albums! It’s up to you how you organize, this is just what makes sense to me. If there is a photo of Larson and Arnie together, I put it in each of their individual albums + my Bouc Babes album of them together. When I am quickly searching for a specific photo, I want to know exactly where it is housed. You will get really good at this as you go on!
This looks like a whole lot, but it really is easy if you just start right now with this month. Don’t try and go back months or years to get “caught up” just start right now. The reason I do it this way is because if I need a photo of something specific - let’s say a photo of my Dad with Larson, I can go to the specific folders to find them immediately. I would be able to find that in my extended family album, or Larson’s album from that year. Sometimes if you’re looking for something specific, you’re scrolling through years of photos…and we all know what happens when you do that - you get in a deeeeeep, dark hole.
Disclaimer: this is VERY quick and VERY easy for me because every single night while laying in bed, I organize my phone. Any photos I took that day I edit with my presets and delete the original. I don’t have duplicates on my phone because I do this every night! I can share that next if there is an interest, because I PROMISE you can do that too!
I would love for this process to be super simple and easy for you! Let me know if you have any questions at all!
