Back up photos from your computer

Back up photos and videos from your Windows or Mac computer and any time you connect a phone, camera, or storage card using the Google Photos Backup desktop uploader.

Setting it up

When you set up Google Photos Backup on your computer, you can choose to upload photos and videos from a phone, camera, or storage card.

After prompting you the first time, every time you connect that phone, camera, or storage card to your computer, the photos and videos on it will back up automatically (if you set it to do so).

Viewing your photos

Your photos and videos will be backed up to your Google Photos library and are private unless you choose to share them.

You can view, edit, share, and delete photos and videos by going to photos.google.com or using the Google Photos app on your mobile device. Learn about the Google Photos app.

Frequently asked questions

Which kinds of files can I back up?

Photo: .jpg, .webp, .crw, .cr2, .nef, .dng, .orf, .raf, .arw, .pef, .srw, .rw2

Video: .mpg, .mod, .mmv, .tod, .wmv, .asf, .avi, .divx, .mov, .m4v, .3gp, .3g2, .mp4, .m2t, .m2ts, .mts, .mkv

Can I back up an Android device using a Mac?

Yes. Install Android File Transfer to set up Google Photos Backup between an Android device and a Mac.

How do I uninstall Google Photos Backup?

Mac

• 1. Quit the Google Photos Backup application by opening the Google Photos Backup menu and selecting Quit.

  2. Open the Applications folder.

  3. Drag Google Photos Backup to the trash (on your Dock).

  4. You can purge your trash by right-clicking the trash and selecting Empty Trash.

Windows

• 1. Click the Start button.

  2. Click Control Panel.

  3. Click Uninstall a Program.

  4. Right click Google Photos Backup > Uninstall.

Do you use Google Drive with your Mac/PC?

If you created a Google Photos folder in your My Drive folder, you might be taking up unnecessary space on your computer if you use these features together:

• Google Drive sync for your Mac or PC

  • Google Photos Backup

To help prevent this, exclude the Google Photos folder from your syncing preferences in Google Drive for your Mac or PC:

• 1. Click the Google Drive icon 

  2. .

     1. • On a Mac, the icon is usually in the menu bar at the top right of your desktop screen.

        • On a PC, the icon is usually in the taskbar at the bottom right of your desktop screen.

  3. In the top right, click the menu 

  4. .

  5. Select Preferences.

  6. Select Only these folders.

  7. Select which folders you'd like to sync, excluding the Google Photos folder.

  8. Click Apply changes.