How to upload photos to the cloud to free up space on Android

Thanks to the improvements that the manufacturers introduce in the photographic sensors, every time we can capture our memories with higher image quality. Evidently, this directly affects storage of our device, reducing the free space considerably. One option to prevent the photos and videos that we save from taking up space in the memory of our phone is to make a backup copy in the cloud. What applications can help you manage your photo library? Here are the best ones.

Google Photos

We started with some of the more popular options, in part because it comes pre-installed on many Android devices. Store your photos in Google Photos It is very simple. You just need to log in with your Google account and go to the settings.

Google Photos settings

Then click on Turn on backup.

Activate backup

Confirm by pressing again on Turn on backup.

Confirm Backup Activation

Choose the quality of the backup. Original quality keeps the original resolution. High quality reduce all those photos that exceed 16 megapixels. For its part, Express it is the ideal way to minimize the impact on your data rate. In return, all photos are reduced to 3 megapixels.

Choose the quality of the upload

Lower quality options do not affect your Google Drive storage quota for now. However, the company plans to make changes in this regard and soon, regardless of the chosen quality, all the photos will take up space and subtract from the 15 GB free that Google offers to its users.

Dropbox

The second alternative is Dropbox, where you can activate the upload of photos and the automatic backup in a very simple way. The first thing is to access the application with your account or create a new one. Then, open the main menu and click on Photos.

Dropbox photo section

Tap on Backup Gallery.

Start backup to Dropbox

To activate the automatic upload of photos from your device, you must contract a subscription with Dropbox or connect a computer, associating it with your account. Choose the option you prefer and follow the instructions.

Options to enable backup

You can also make manual uploads of your photos.

Upload photos to Dropbox manually

In this case, it is important that you do not forget to upload your files periodically to avoid accidental data loss. Keep in mind that Dropbox offers limited space of just 2 GB. If you want more space, it will be essential that you go through the box.

Microsoft OneDrive

We take a leap to the Microsoft cloud. The company’s developers have gone to great lengths to perfect the OneDrive gallery section. After logging in with your Microsoft account, go to the section Photos.

OneDrive photos section

Tap on Turn on to activate automatic backup.

Enable backup on OneDrive

Confirm that you want to activate the photo upload with the button Confirmed.

Confirm activation of automatic copy

Now all your photos will be uploaded and synced to OneDrive. If you are a Windows 10 user, you can use the Photos application, integrated into the system, to view your gallery. You should know that Microsoft offers 5 GB free. Of course, this amount can be expanded with a monthly or annual subscription.

Amazon Photos

Amazon also has its proposal in the field of photographic storage. Amazon Photos is a very simple application with a clear advantage: offers unlimited space to Prime customers. When you download and install your application, enter your Amazon account to continue. Follow the instructions in the wizard to enable backup. First of all, tap on Okay to grant the necessary permissions to the application, and then activate the option Auto-save. Also indicate if you want to use mobile data for uploads.

Enable copy in Amazon Photos

Once this is done, the automatic backup will already be activated. Some of the advantages of this application are related to the devices that the company markets under the Alexa and Fire TV brands. If you have an Amazon media player or smart display, you can view your photos and access your albums. And one last detail: although photo storage is unlimited, you only have 5 GB for videos.

pCloud

Finally, we review a lesser-known application, pCloud, but with very good attributes to become your next online library. As is usual in all the options we have seen, it is necessary to create an account. Then, you must configure the backup in the cloud by clicking on Activate.

Activate cloud copy in pCloud

pCloud will start copying all your photos automatically to the cloud. Remember that you can also use pCloud to store any other type of files. Therefore, if you only want to see your photos, open the main menu of the application and tap on the photo icon.

Access the pCloud gallery

With this application you get 10 GB free storage. Unlike the rest of the applications shown in this article, in addition to the monthly and annual subscriptions, it has a payment for life. In this way, you get a certain amount of space in exchange for a single payment.

Saving photos in the cloud: which is the best option?

Depends. All the options that we have mentioned in this article are ideal for storing your photos. Nevertheless, according to your needs, some will be more effective than others. For example, OneDrive offers a 1 TB paid subscription that includes Microsoft Office. In addition, it integrates perfectly into your PC. On the other hand, Google Photos works very well on devices with Chromecast and on screens with the Google assistant. And something very similar happens in the case of Amazon Photos and its integration with the Amazon ecosystem. On the other hand, pCloud and Dropbox are more classic storage services, with an integrated photo library. All these small details can tip the balance towards one option or another. Finally, we recommend that you compare the rates, because in most cases you will need to pay a subscription. If you focus only on this aspect, the logical thing will be that the cheapest option turns out to be the winner.