Hello Everybody! New to Android Central here...
FOUND A PERMANENT SOLUTION!!
After an extensive search online to solve this issue I found the solution and I wish to share it here :
- It seems there are many other posts on the subject but I could not reply on them (they were closed)...
You DON´T need to root your device.
My Google Photos app is set up and I have chosen to only backup the "Camera" folder in Google Photos APP. (I chose it on the "device folders" tab)
This backs up the ENTIRE DCIM folder. The problem is, my device Samsung Galaxy S7 edge, creates a "Screenshot" folder as a SUBFOLDER in the "DCIM" folder. Facebook also creates a "facebook" subfolder in "DCIM" when a picture is saved from facebook.
Google Photos will AUTOMATICALLY then backup the whole DCIM folder (this folder is oddly named "CAMERA " on the app) , including any screenshots or facebook downloaded pictures.
Other apps such as Whatsapp or instagram create DIFFERENT folders (outside DCIM) so you can select to backup or not the photos in these folders, BUT you CAN´T STOP google photos from backing up Screenshots since they "live" INSIDE the "CAMERA" folder ---- and you can´t UN-CHECK subfolders within Google Photos App.
Simply put: The "facebook" and "screenshot" folder are not available as options to "unsync" when i view all folders on my device.
If you are interested in ONLY backing up the photos taken by Camera which are saved to DCIM > Camera. (Such as me), this is the workaround:
Currently I found NO simple ways of "changing" the storage location of Facebook app and Samsung Screenshots...
If you manually move screenshots folder outside DCIM (for example by using EZ File explorer app), as soon as you take another picture, the original Screenshot folder will be created within DCIM folder again......and......they will keep on getting synced to Google photos...
SOLUTION
1) Putting a simple .txt file named .nomedia inside DCIM>Facebook folder somehow STOPS google from automatically sincying those pictures - this however DOES NOT work for Screenshots. (I don´t know why...)
*PD: I dont regularly download photos from facebook so this is no big issue for me*
2)To PERMANENTLY solve the Screenshot issue just download "PinSync" App:
This "ONLY MADE FOR THIS PROBLEM" $1USD app, simply AUTOMATICALLY stops screenshots from getting to DCIM>Screenshots folder and creates a NEW "PinSyncScreenshots" folder OUTSIDE the DCIM folder, where all your screenshots will be saved. It Just moves them really fast (in fact, the moment they are taken), so google photos has no time of uploading them.
This new folder will show all your screenshots on your regular Gallery and you can GLADLY choose on google photos app to Sync it or not, just as you can with Instagram or Whatsapp (or most extra app) folders!!
** Notice; I do NOT have any current contract or finanancial relationship, comissions or royalties related to PinSync App or its creators**
** Hope this works for everybody!!**