5 Google Photos features every user must know

Other than being a storage bank for all your photos and videos, Google Photos also comes with some interesting features. Here’s five of them.

Google Photos on desktop and Android. (Google)

Google Photos is basically a backup application by search giant Google. It allows users free and unlimited storage for photos up to 16-megapixel and videos up to 1080p resolution.

The application automatically analyses photos by identifying various visual features and subjects. Google Photos, which was launched in 2015, has two storage settings "high quality" and "original quality".

Here are the five features that will enhance the user experience of search giant Google's offering Google Photos:

'I'm feeling lucky'

This feature by Google Photos takes the user to a randomly selected collection of photos and videos from particular time frame, location etc. It is available for both Android and iOS users. In order to use this feature, the user has to long press the Google Photo icon, after which an option, which reads 'I'm feeling lucky', will pop up, tapping on that option will take the user to the randomly chosen set of photos and videos.

Make a movie in Google Photos

Users can now makes movies in the Google photos app itself. The option is visible in the three-dot options menu on the top corner. The feature is available for both Android and iOS users.

Following are the steps that users can follow to make a movie:

Open the Google Photos app

Sign in to your Google Account

At the bottom, tap on the 'for you' option

Choose the 'movie' option

Click on 'new movie' tab

Select the photos and videos you want in the movie

After selecting photos and videos, tap on 'create' at the top right corner

Following that tap save

Apart from creating a movie of your own the app also provides an option to make the movie in particular in-build themes.

Share entire album with people

There are three ways to share albums with people. The feature is available for both Android and iOS users.

First is by sharing images and videos in a conversation. In this type of sharing only Google account users can be recipients and the maximum limit of sharing photos and videos in this type of format is 20,000

To share with other people in a conversation, users need to follow these steps:

Open the Google Photos app

Sign in to Google Account

Select a photos, album, or videos

Tap Share

Under "Send in Google Photos," select people to share with

This will bring you to a chat window where you can send the file to the recipient

The second option is to share by creating a shared album. In this option, a link will be sent to the recipient. Whoever receives the link will get access to the photos and videos uploaded in the shared album.

In order to use this feature, follow these steps:

Open the Google Photos app

Sign in to Google Account

In the menu on the left, tap Photos

Select photos or videos for the album

On the top panel, tap the '+' icon

Select 'Shared album' option from the list

Enter an album title

When the album is complete, tap Share

Select people with whom you wish to share your album with

Send photos and videos on different apps and websites.

To use this feature, this is what users need to do

Open the Google Photos app

Select a photo, album, or video

Tap Share

Under "Share to apps," select another app to share to

Swipe left to find more apps

Tap Create link.

Send the link created link to the person you want to share with

Search text in images through Google Photos

The Lens OCR feature will allow users to search for photos by looking for the text in them. Once the photo with text has been found, clicking the Lens button allows users to copy sections of text and paste it in another document.

In order the use the feature, these steps need to be followed:

Open the Google Photos app

Select a photo with text

Click on the lens icon at the bottom panel

After which user can copy text of photo

Save data: Backup images and videos using Wi-Fi only

Some users who are not keen on investing data for backing up images and videos can use this feature. With this feature the backup will only begin once the device is connected to a Wi-Fi

To use this feature, these steps need to be followed:

Open the Google Photos app

Tap on three lines icon seen at top left corner

Select the 'Settings' option

Choose 'Backup & Sync' option

Under the 'When to Backup section', switch off 'Use mobile data to back up photos' and 'Use mobile data to back up videos'