Moving memory card to new phone-Google photo backup behavior?

[BJB1]

I have an S9 I am helping to transition to an S20. The DCIM folder of the memory card and a few other folders are backing up at full resolution to google photos.

I typically delete the android folder on the card and pop in the card in the new phone unless I am moving to a larger one. Done many times, but first time while using google photo backup.

My question is once google photos sees a new phone logged into the same account as the old phone, with the same photos on the card, what will it do? I certainly do not want it to backup these photos a second time...

I read somewhere that maybe it compares the hash of photos before backing up but google photos has been updated so many times....I would like to hear from someone that has done this recently.

I assume you setup google photos on the new phone with the same settings and folders, and same login account account.

What I want to know is:
1) What will google photo backup do if it sees the same card and photos in a new phone?
2) What will it do if it sees a new card with a new copy of the same photos with a new last modified date, but with same size, etc.

Of course I will backup the card to a local drive regardless.
Thanks,
BJB1

 

[B. Diddy]

See if this helps: https://support.google.com/photos/thread/7917976?hl=en

 

[BJB1]

See if this helps: https://support.google.com/photos/thread/7917976?hl=en

Thanks. I did see this, did not sound like he was sure how it worked. Saw another post that says Google *may* check the hash total. But nothing definitive..... Seems like this should be documented somewhere, I just can't find it. Certainly I must not be the first to use a new card.

Thanks,
BJB1

 

[Rukbat]

It pops up to back up my pictures on my desktop if I open one in a new app, so I don't think it's checking before asking. But I've given it permission a few times, and I don't have any duplicates so it must be checking some hash before uploading. (Given the speed, either they have a fast MD5 implementation, or they're using something smaller.)

 

[BJB1]

It pops up to back up my pictures on my desktop if I open one in a new app, so I don't think it's checking before asking. But I've given it permission a few times, and I don't have any duplicates so it must be checking some hash before uploading. (Given the speed, either they have a fast MD5 implementation, or they're using something smaller.)

Thanks Rukbat. Hopefully the same on android.
BJB1

 

[mustang7757]

I would recommend you do a back up through Samsung cloud on the phone , you can even back up to your sd card , keep google sync with gallery and also use smart switch tool on computer to back up sd card and phonethat way you'll have no issues whith the transition .

 

[BJB1]

Thanks for the great tips. Now with S20 5g coming out, doing this soon. I do use smartswitch too for texts and settings, wallpaper, etc and make multiple backups of dics and pix. Have not used Samsung backup...

New strategy and question though. I decided to buy a new larger SD card for the S20. The S9 has the photos backed up at full rez on google photos from the old SD card.

Can I just put the new SD card in the new S20, turn on google backup/sync and it will restore?
I wouldn't want it to sync the empty card to the cloud and delete everything! Is there a setting that forces a restore of cloud to card to make sure this doesn't happen?

Of course I can copy card to card on a PC but then back to question on what sync would do....
Thanks,
BJB1

 

[mustang7757]

Thanks for the great tips. Now with S20 5g coming out, doing this soon. I do use smartswitch too for texts and settings, wallpaper, etc and make multiple backups of dics and pix. Have not used Samsung backup...

New strategy and question though. I decided to buy a new larger SD card for the S20. The S9 has the photos backed up at full rez on google photos from the old SD card.

Can I just put the new SD card in the new S20, turn on google backup/sync and it will restore?
I wouldn't want it to sync the empty card to the cloud and delete everything! Is there a setting that forces a restore of cloud to card to make sure this doesn't happen?

Of course I can copy card to card on a PC but then back to question on what sync would do....
Thanks,
BJB1

Google photos if u go into its settings allows to see sd card , but never tried it out. If you copy things to the computer best to use smart switch that way any photos or videos don't go out of date or order.
Your welcome!

 

[BJB1]

I thought I would share some information from a more tenured person from a carrier who seemed to be very technical and knew what they were talking about. At least I hope so. I am sure this group can confirm and please do not rely on this to do anything with your photos, I am looking for confirmation not giving advice for someone to follow.

Smartswitch was also offered as a solution where it would copy all photos from the old phone's SD card to the new phone's SD card to the same folders. Understand. (note I realize these are really MicroSDCX cards, just using a shortcut).

However the additional details about Google Photo backup/ "sync" (in quotes for a reason) is what I found interesting.

I was told that google photo backup will never automatically or manually restores (edit: ALL) images from the "cloud" to a device. Is this correct? Note: Am aware that you can tap and restore individual photos, that is not what I am referring to.
I was told that if an old phone backs up everything from the DCIM folder of an SD card to the cloud.... And then you login with a new phone to the same account and it has a DCIM SD card folder, it will not sync the photos from the cloud back to the SD card. It does not really sync, just backs up. But the first picture you take on the new phone with images going to the DCIM folder of the SD card it will add that to the cloud backup. Further, you will "see" all the images in the google photo app on the phone, but you are really seeing just the cloud preview.

Whereas on the old phone, you are seeing the images on the SD card and the notice that the folder is "backed up" to the cloud.

Their thought was if you want the photos locally and in the cloud on the new phone, then to use smartswitch to copy them from the old phone/SD card to the new phone/SD card.

-or-

Use a PC to copy them from the old phone's SD card to the new phone's SD card to perhaps a new folder on the new phone's SD card that is not backed up by google photo backup.

-or--

Use a PC to copy them from the old phone's SD card to the new phone's SD card to the same DCIM folder and google photo backup "should' see the same date, filename etc. and not duplicate it.

Just thought I would share this. If someone believes this to be incorrect based on their experience please correct so someone else is not led down the wrong path.
If you can confirm all or part of this to be correct, that would also be useful.

Thanks,

BJB1

 

[BJB1]

Has anyone bought a new phone, put in a new memory card in that new phone, and then turned on phito backup? Your experience would be much appreciated.

Thanks,
BJB1

 

[mustang7757]

I thought I would share some information from a more tenured person from a carrier who seemed to be very technical and knew what they were talking about. At least I hope so. I am sure this group can confirm and please do not rely on this to do anything with your photos, I am looking for confirmation not giving advice for someone to follow.

Smartswitch was also offered as a solution where it would copy all photos from the old phone's SD card to the new phone's SD card to the same folders. Understand. (note I realize these are really MicroSDCX cards, just using a shortcut).

However the additional details about Google Photo backup/ "sync" (in quotes for a reason) is what I found interesting.

I was told that google photo backup will never automatically or manually restores (edit: ALL) images from the "cloud" to a device. Is this correct? Note: Am aware that you can tap and restore individual photos, that is not what I am referring to.
I was told that if an old phone backs up everything from the DCIM folder of an SD card to the cloud.... And then you login with a new phone to the same account and it has a DCIM SD card folder, it will not sync the photos from the cloud back to the SD card. It does not really sync, just backs up. But the first picture you take on the new phone with images going to the DCIM folder of the SD card it will add that to the cloud backup. Further, you will "see" all the images in the google photo app on the phone, but you are really seeing just the cloud preview.

Whereas on the old phone, you are seeing the images on the SD card and the notice that the folder is "backed up" to the cloud.

Their thought was if you want the photos locally and in the cloud on the new phone, then to use smartswitch to copy them from the old phone/SD card to the new phone/SD card.

-or-

Use a PC to copy them from the old phone's SD card to the new phone's SD card to perhaps a new folder on the new phone's SD card that is not backed up by google photo backup.

-or--

Use a PC to copy them from the old phone's SD card to the new phone's SD card to the same DCIM folder and google photo backup "should' see the same date, filename etc. and not duplicate it.

Just thought I would share this. If someone believes this to be incorrect based on their experience please correct so someone else is not led down the wrong path.
If you can confirm all or part of this to be correct, that would also be useful.

Thanks,

BJB1

The more back up the better

I use Samsung cloud
Smart switch
Google photos to sync and back up

Less chance to lose important stuff.

 

[mustang7757]

Has anyone bought a new phone, put in a new memory card in that new phone, and then turned on phito backup? Your experience would be much appreciated.

Thanks,
BJB1

I just don't trust sd card to save my photos ,etc.

They are known to get corrupt , i would use the above mentioned , cant go wrong

 

[BJB1]

I just don't trust sd card to save my photos ,etc.

They are known to get corrupt , i would use the above mentioned , cant go wrong

I agree 100% as to backups. As to photos, just trying to figure out how to get my files on my memory card without messing up my google photo backup. I think so highly about backups I keep my old memory card as a permanent backup and the new one, and the cloud, and a NAS.

None of that helps me figure out how to turn on photo backup on new phone without messing up the backup process.

BJB1

 

[mustang7757]

I agree 100% as to backups. As to photos, just trying to figure out how to get my files on my memory card without messing up my google photo backup. I think so highly about backups I keep my old memory card as a permanent backup and the new one, and the cloud, and a NAS.

None of that helps me figure out how to turn on photo backup on new phone without messing up the backup process.

BJB1

The cloud services is best at this , if this what you mean . Take example I have photo,documents, backed up in Samsung from previous Samsung phones, now I got the Note 10+ I signed into my Samsung account and back ups are there , I start making new photos in Gallery and they just get back up to Google photos (turn on back up for that) and samsung cloud, just keeps adding to my 15gb Samsung cloud back up , if I fill that ill pay to get more back up storage. Hope I made it little more clear it won't mess with your current back up to cloud just adds to it .