google photos new icon black backgroundGoogle Photos has stopped backing up images and videos from folders created by social media and messaging apps like WhatsApp, Messages, and TikTok (via Android Police).

Previously, Google's photo app would automatically upload all media saved to an iOS device, including any files saved in folders originating from social and messaging apps.

Google says it's now turning off this aspect of its cloud photo backup service "to save internet resources" as people share more photos and videos amid the ongoing global health crisis.

Users can reverse this change and re-enable backup of photos and video from social media and messaging apps by following these instructions.

Other digital services including YouTube and Disney+ adopted similar measures to reduce bandwidth strain caused by the global health crisis several months ago.

Tag: Google Photos

Top Rated Comments

Anarchy99 Avatar
Anarchy99
60 months ago
am i the only one that hates the new google photos logo
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
69Mustang Avatar
69Mustang
60 months ago

I was just saying this morning to a friend how bloody aggressive this app is. I hate how if you try to delete uploaded media from the app, it will also delete it from ios photos too. And if you try to turn off app permissions to read and write, the app gets blocked from opening. My friend uses it to send me uncompressed media files which is the only reason I want to use it. But I’m very tempted to delete it.
It's aggressive because it sounds as if it's set that way. Turn off auto-sync and back up. ← That's what you're phone is doing... syncing and backing up. It's why both are being deleted. You don't need to turn off app permissions, just the auto-sync and back up function.


Could it be related to the fact that in IOS 14 such behavior may raise eyebrows as people realize how intrusive this is.
No it is not.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
genovelle Avatar
genovelle
60 months ago
Could it be related to the fact that in IOS 14 such behavior may raise eyebrows as people realize how intrusive this is.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Gsmaniac Avatar
Gsmaniac
60 months ago
I was just saying this morning to a friend how bloody aggressive this app is. I hate how if you try to delete uploaded media from the app, it will also delete it from ios photos too. And if you try to turn off app permissions to read and write, the app gets blocked from opening. My friend uses it to send me uncompressed media files which is the only reason I want to use it. But I’m very tempted to delete it.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Read All Comments

Popular Stories

Generic iOS 19 Feature Mock Light

iOS 19 Leak Reveals All-New Design

Friday January 17, 2025 2:42 pm PST by
iOS 19 is still around six months away from being announced, but a new leak has allegedly revealed a completely redesigned Camera app. Based on footage it obtained, YouTube channel Front Page Tech shared a video showing what the new Camera app will apparently look like, with the key change being translucent menus for camera controls. Overall, the design of these menus looks similar to...
Read Full Article
2024 App Store Awards

Apple Explains Why It Removed TikTok From the App Store in the U.S.

Sunday January 19, 2025 6:58 am PST by
Apple on late Saturday removed TikTok from the App Store in the U.S., and it has now explained why it was required to take this action. Last year, the U.S. passed a law that required Chinese company ByteDance to divest its ownership of TikTok due to potential national security risks, or else the platform would be banned. That law went into effect today, and companies like Apple and Google...
Read Full Article • 252 comments
iPhone SE Dynamic Island Majin Bu

iPhone SE 4 Leak Shows Dynamic Island, Casts Doubt on Rumored 'iPhone 16E' Name

Monday January 20, 2025 9:01 am PST by
A new iPhone SE is widely rumored to launch this year, and the device has potentially been confirmed today by known leaker Evan Blass. In a private social media post, Blass shared an image of what appears to be source code mentioning an iPhone SE (4th Gen), which casts doubt on the alternative "iPhone 16E" name rumored for the device. However, the name in the source code could be a...
Read Full Article • 165 comments
iOS 19 Roundup Feature

iOS 19 Rumored to Be Compatible With These iPhones

Saturday January 18, 2025 10:28 am PST by
iOS 19 will not drop support for any iPhone models, according to French website iPhoneSoft.fr. The report cited a source who said iOS 19 will be compatible with any iPhone that can run iOS 18, which would mean the following models: iPhone 16 iPhone 16 Plus iPhone 16 Pro iPhone 16 Pro Max iPhone 15 iPhone 15 Plus iPhone 15 Pro iPhone 15 Pro Max iPhone 14 iPhon...
Read Full Article
airtag 4 pack blue

AirTag 2 Launching This Year With These 3 New Features

Sunday January 19, 2025 8:11 am PST by
After a four-year wait, a new AirTag is finally expected to launch in 2025. Below, we recap rumored upgrades for the accessory. A few months ago, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said Apple was aiming to release the AirTag 2 around the middle of 2025. While he did not offer a more specific timeframe, that means the AirTag 2 could be announced by the end of June. The original AirTag was announced...
Read Full Article
iPhone 17 Air Size Feature

'iPhone 17 Air' With Rear Camera Bar Allegedly Shown in Leaked Photo

Tuesday January 21, 2025 12:46 pm PST by
A leaker known as "Majin Bu" today shared an alleged image of a component for the rumored, ultra-thin "iPhone 17 Air" model. The blurry, pixelated image shows a pair of rear iPhone shells with a pill-shaped, raised camera bar along the top. On the left side of the bar, there is a circular cutout that appears to be for a single rear camera. On the right side of the bar, there appears to be an ...
Read Full Article • 86 comments
apple power beats pro 2

Powerbeats Pro 2 Coming Soon: Apple to Announce Them 'Imminently'

Sunday January 19, 2025 8:25 am PST by
In September, Apple said that it would be launching Powerbeats Pro 2 in 2025, and it appears the wireless earbuds are coming very soon. Powerbeats Pro 2 images found in iOS 18 code In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said the Powerbeats Pro 2 are "due imminently." In addition to Apple filing the Powerbeats Pro 2 in regulatory databases last month, Gurman said Apple is...
Read Full Article • 63 comments
Generic iOS 18

Everything New in iOS 18.3 Beta 3

Thursday January 16, 2025 12:39 pm PST by
Apple provided the third beta of iOS 18.3 to developers today, and while the betas have so far been light on new features, the third beta makes some major changes to Notification Summaries and also tweaks a few other features. Notification Summary Changes Apple made multiple changes to Notification Summaries in response to complaints about inaccurate summaries of news headlines. For...
Read Full Article • 28 comments