How to Auto Upload Photos from Windows PC to Google Photos?

Shreyas Patil SEO
Shreyas PatilUpdated :
How to Auto Upload Photos from Windows PC to Google Photos

Have you ever found yourself spending a significant amount of time manually uploading photos from your Windows PC to Google Photos? It can be a tedious and time-consuming task, especially if you have a large number of photos to upload. Fortunately, there is a way to streamline this process and automate the uploading of your photos to Google Photos. In this article, we will guide you through the steps to auto upload photos from your Windows PC to Google Photos, saving you time and effort.


Introduction

Google Photos is a popular cloud-based photo storage and sharing service provided by Google. It offers users a convenient way to organize and access their photos from different devices. By automating the upload process, you can ensure that your photos are always backed up and readily available on Google Photos.


Setting up Google Photos on your Windows PC

To begin auto uploading your photos, you need to have Google Photos installed on your Windows PC. Follow these steps to set it up:

  • Visit the Google Photos website (https://photos.google.com/) and download the app for Windows.

    Open Google Drive on your computer

  • Once downloaded, run the installer and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation.
  • After installation, launch the Google Photos app.

Enabling the Backup and Sync feature

The Backup and Sync feature allows you to automatically upload photos from specific folders on your Windows PC to Google Photos. Here's how to enable it:

  • Sign in to your Google account within the Google Photos app.
  • In the app, click on the menu icon (three horizontal lines) in the top left corner.
  • Select "Settings" from the menu.
  • In the "Settings" menu, click on the "Backup and Sync" option.
  • Toggle the switch to enable Backup and Sync.

Choosing the folders to automatically upload

Once you've enabled Backup and Sync, you can choose which folders on your Windows PC to automatically upload to Google Photos. Follow these steps:

  • In the Backup and Sync settings, click on the "Choose Folder" button.
  • Browse and select the folders containing the photos you want to upload.
  • Click "OK" to confirm your selection.

Customizing upload settings

Google Photos provides various settings to customize your upload preferences. You can access these settings by following these steps:

  • In the Backup and Sync settings, click on the "Upload Size" option.
  • Choose between "High quality" or "Original" quality for your uploaded photos.
  • "High quality" allows for unlimited free storage, while "Original" quality counts towards your Google account storage limit.

Allowing photos to be uploaded in the background

By default, Google Photos will upload your selected folders in the background while your Windows PC is connected to the internet. However, you can adjust this setting to suit your preferences. Here's how:

  • In the Backup and Sync settings, click on the "Settings" option.
  • Under the "Upload" section, you can choose to upload photos only when there's a Wi-Fi connection or even when using mobile data.

Monitoring the upload progress

To keep track of the upload progress and any potential issues, you can refer to the Google Photos app. Follow these steps to monitor the upload progress:

  • Launch the Google Photos app on your Windows PC.
  • In the app, click on the menu icon and select "Upload status."

Troubleshooting common issues

In case you encounter any issues during the auto upload process, here are some common troubleshooting steps:

  • Ensure that you have a stable internet connection.
  • Check that the selected folders have the necessary permissions to be accessed by the Google Photos app.
  • Restart the Google Photos app or your Windows PC if you encounter any technical glitches.

Quick Tip to ensure your videos never go missing

Videos are precious memories and all of us never want to ever lose them to hard disk crashes or missing drives. PicBackMan is the easiest and simplest way to keep your videos safely backed up in one or more online accounts. 

Download PicBackMan

Simply Download PicBackMan (it's free!), register your account, connect to your online store and tell PicBackMan where your videos are - PicBackMan does the rest, automatically. It bulk uploads all videos and keeps looking for new ones and uploads those too. You don't have to ever touch it.


Conclusion

Auto uploading photos from your Windows PC to Google Photos can save you time and effort, ensuring that your precious memories are securely stored in the cloud. By following the steps outlined in this article, you can set up the automated upload process and enjoy the convenience of having your photos readily accessible on Google Photos.




FAQs

How do I automatically upload files to Google Drive?

To automatically upload files to Google Drive, you can use the Google Drive desktop application or the Backup and Sync tool. Install the application, sign in to your Google account, and select the folders or files you want to automatically sync with Google Drive. Any changes made to those files or folders on your PC will be automatically updated in Google Drive.

Why are my photos not uploading from PC to Google Photos?

There could be several reasons why your photos are not uploading from your PC to Google Photos. Firstly, ensure that you have a stable internet connection. Also, check if the Google Photos app or Backup and Sync tool is running and properly configured. Additionally, make sure the selected folders have the necessary permissions and that there is enough storage space in your Google Photos account.

Can I drag and drop photos from PC to Google Photos?

No, you cannot directly drag and drop photos from your PC to Google Photos using the web interface. Google Photos requires you to use the Backup and Sync tool or the Google Photos app to automatically upload and sync photos from your PC to the cloud storage.

How do I set up auto upload on Google Photos?

To set up auto upload on Google Photos, you need to install the Google Photos app on your device or use the Backup and Sync tool on your Windows PC. Sign in to your Google account, select the folders you want to auto upload, customize the upload settings, and enable the Backup and Sync feature. This will automatically upload new photos from the selected folders to Google Photos.

How do I automatically move photos to Google Drive folder?

To automatically move photos to a specific folder in Google Drive, you can set up a rule or automation using third-party applications like IFTTT (If This Then That) or Zapier. These tools allow you to create triggers and actions, such as automatically moving photos from Google Photos to a designated folder in Google Drive.

Is Google Drive and Google Photos the same storage?

No, Google Drive and Google Photos are separate storage services provided by Google. Google Drive is primarily used for file storage and document management, while Google Photos is focused on storing and organizing photos and videos. However, there is an option to sync photos from Google Photos to Google Drive or vice versa, allowing you to access them across both platforms.

World's #1 Photo/Video Uploader

Backup & Transfer your Photos in Minutes

Automate backup & migration of your photos & videos with support for all top services.

(283 reviews)

Trusted by users in 125+ countries.

95,000+ PicBackMan Users

95,000+ Users Trust PicBackMan To Backup Precious Memories

money back guarantee
Kip Roof testimonial Kip Roofgoogle photos flickr
PicBackMan does exactly what it's supposed to. It's quick and efficient. It runs unobtrusively in the background and has done an excellent job of uploading more than 300GB of photos to 2 different services. After having lost a lot of personal memories to a hard drive crash, it's nice to know that my photos are safe in 2 different places.
Julia Alyea Farella testimonialJulia Alyea Farella smugmug
LOVE this program! Works better than ANY other program out there that I have found to upload thousands of pictures WITH SUB-FOLDERS to SmugMug! Thank you so much for what you do! :) #happycustomer
Pausing Motion testimonialPausingMotionsmugmug
I pointed PicBackMan at a directory structure, and next time I looked - all the photos had uploaded! Pretty cool. I use SmugMug and while I really like it, the process of creating directories in is pretty laborious when you need to make 80+ at a time. This was a breeze. Thank you!
Gavin Whitham testimonialGavin Whithamflickr
PicBackMan was really easy to setup and has been running for 3 days now backing up all my locally saved photos to Flickr. My photos are really valuable to me so it's great to be able to have them easily backed up to a secure location.
 Jim Griffin testimonialJim Griffinsmugmug
It's AWESOME!! I have tens of thousands of pictures...and they are now successfully uploaded to SmugMug, where they are safely backed up, and I can edit and organize them. If you are hesitating about using PicBackMan, hesitate no longer...try it...and you'll be glad you did!!
close icon
World's #1 Photo/Video Uploader

World's #1 Free Photo/Video Uploader

PicBackMan has everything you've ever wanted to backup your photos or migrate/transfer from one account to another. No feature left behind!

(283 reviews)
Trusted by users in 125+ countries.
  • Maintain Folder StructureMaintain Folder StructureUpload to your online accounts & keep your folder structure as you have it.
  • Sub-folder SupportFolders & their sub-folders are automatically picked up.
  • Smart De-dupeDe-dupes photos before uploading so you don’t have duplicate copies.
  • AutomaticPicBackMan monitors & automatically uploads from connected folders.
  • PrivacyPrivacyAll uploaded photos & videos are always marked as private by default.
  • RAW FilesComes with support for RAW files for uploads as well as transfers.

“Your pictures are scattered. PicBackMan helps you bring order to your digital memories.”

the wall street journal
close icon
One Uploader for All Services

One Uploader for All Services

PicBackMan is the only tool you will need to backup to one or more of the top online photo and video services.

(283 reviews)
Trusted by users in 125+ countries.
Google Photos

Google Photos

Flickr

Flickr

SmugMug

SmugMug

Dropbox

Dropbox

Google Drive

Google Drive

pCloud

pCloud

OneDrive

OneDrive

youtube

Youtube