Photo backup queries

[SiBlackwell]

New Nexus 4 (make that new Android user full stop), and I was reading the blog post about photo storage in the cloud. It reminded me that a need a solution similar to that of the iPhone photo backup to iCloud I was used to until now.

I may have misunderstood this, but it seems pictures backup to Google+ rather than any feature which would enable you to back them up to Google Drive. In my opinion, utter madness, though I suppose it's a desperate ploy to get people to use Google+. For me that's a terrifying notion, another social network where I have to ensure my privacy settings are locked up to the hilt (for a social network I have no interest in using and managing).

Then, as I was playing around in the gallery settings on my Nexus 4 today I saw the 'Google Photo Sync is ON' setting. Another terrifying notion as I have no idea where my camera roll is actually being backed up to and whether or not it's private - horrifying for anyone with kids. When I click the photo sync option what I see is a tick box for 'auto-sync app data' which sounds like nothing to do with photos at all. So the confusion deepens.

So I've gone from wanting to understand the best mechanism for securely backing up my photos automatically with little or no maintenance required on my part, to finding out my data is probably being backed up, but I don't know what's being backed up or where.

I'm sure it's a familiarity thing as a new person to Android, but certainly makes you nervous.

If anyone can clear up some of these queries for me I'd appreciate it.

Thanks

 

[ohyeahar]

Google?s way of backing up your photos does indeed back them up to Google+ (rather than Google Drive).

I personally find Google+ to be quite useful but I understand why some people like yourself would rather not have to bother with yet another social network.
Here?s the thing:
If you don?t want to post to Google+, then just don?t. Don?t share anything on Google+. Don?t +1 anything. Then you don?t have to manage any privacy settings since there?s NOTHING for anyone to see.
If you don?t want to read posts on Google+, then just don?t.

As mentioned, if the toggle for ?Google Photo Sync? is ?On?, then your photos are backed up to Google+. So if you want to manage your backed-up photos, just go to http://plus.google.com/photos
It?s private. None of your backed-up photos are automatically shared to anyone.
I personally like the way Google+ handles photo backup. My advice would be to just try it. If you find that you don?t like it, then just don?t back up your photos to Google.

There are other ways to backup your photos to the cloud. Apps like Dropbox and Sugarsync may be what you?re looking for. Both of them offer backing up your photos automatically.

 

[SiBlackwell]

Thanks for the info. I may try it if it's a defaulted private folder.

With the other options like dropbox, can you actually get it to just upload from the camera gallery? I actually pay for a Microsoft Skydrive to backup all my folders on my MacBook Air, and it works really well as the apps for viewing and downloading your uploaded content on iOS and Android are very good IMO, but I don't think there's a way of getting Skydrive to just 'look' at my Nexus gallery and upload my stuff.

 

[ohyeahar]

Thanks for the info. I may try it if it's a defaulted private folder.

With the other options like dropbox, can you actually get it to just upload from the camera gallery? I actually pay for a Microsoft Skydrive to backup all my folders on my MacBook Air, and it works really well as the apps for viewing and downloading your uploaded content on iOS and Android are very good IMO, but I don't think there's a way of getting Skydrive to just 'look' at my Nexus gallery and upload my stuff.

I?m not entirely sure how Dropbox determines which photos to backup if you set it to auto-upload. It may very well include images that you?ve downloaded from your internet browser or photos that you?ve edited and saved. Seems like a minor detail to me.

There is a Skydrive app on Android. But it doesn?t offer the option to automatically backup your photos/files. So you?ll need to do your uploads manually. This is probably not your preferred option.

Here?s an idea:
Use the Dropbox Android app to automatically backup your photos.
Install the Dropbox client on your Macbook. This means your backup photos will be automatically downloaded onto your Macbook. Which will then be automatically uploaded to your Skydrive.
It?s not the most elegant solution, but this achieves what you want (i.e., getting your photos automatically to Skydrive).

 

[SiBlackwell]

That's a pretty smart way of looking at it, thanks!!!

 

[meringues]

Question: does anyone know how to keep the Auto Backup function out of downloads/screenshots/other crap that isn't the camera roll? I think it might even be scooping up MMS attachments and the like.

 

[xstinkyx]

Question: does anyone know how to keep the Auto Backup function out of downloads/screenshots/other crap that isn't the camera roll? I think it might even be scooping up MMS attachments and the like.

My auto backup has NEVER taken images from downloads/screenshots/etc. It only uploads pics from the stock Camera app.

 

[xstinkyx]

I'm sure it's a familiarity thing as a new person to Android, but certainly makes you nervous.

Just try it for awhile. I find the auto back up to be really useful and fun. For example, you can easily search through them thanks to google's magic. I did a search on "hair" earlier and found a photo of my friend from a few years ago that I passed on to her today just for kicks. I rarely post items to google+, all the photos are hidden from public view. I do sometimes grab the url of an online photo in my area (actually, the smaller version of the original) and share that url with people.