Google Photos has rolled out a new update for Android devices, giving users the option to manually select photos from any album for upload.
The update, though small, is certainly very useful. From the all-or-nothing feature, this pick-and choose-option is quite handy especially in the absence of Wi-Fi, which is a must-have to automatically sync all mobile camera photos directly into Google Photos.
Google Photos has always been a very cool service, offering unlimited space for photos - as long as these are under the 16-megapixel resolution limit - and letting users access the uploaded photos from any device. Users can later revisit the pictures and edit and categorize them by life events and location. This leaves competing services completely in the app's shadow.
The new update for Google Photos for Android, version 1.18, enables users to manually back up photos. Here's how it works: go to any picture on any album, long-press the image until the tick mark sign appears and click on the triple-dot menu at the top right. A "Back Up Now" option will appear, which will do just that - back up the photo right then and there - even without an Internet connection.
It is definitely much easier than manually pulling the pictures via the Share sheet or creating another album for upload. The manual update also functions if your backup options are disabled in general.
It also eliminates the irritating factor of having to go through the pictures that you can do without, like a one-time screenshot, forwarded images that have crept into your folder via Messenger, or some downloaded Web images. Nor would you need to manually move photos to the Camera album or temporarily enable backup for the Download folder should you want your images files to directly get uploaded to the cloud.
If you are an Android user, visit the Google Play Store to download the new update, while the iOS family will presumably have to wait a little longer to enjoy a similar update.
