How to save photos in the cloud on Android

Modern phones are replacing the home computer or laptop for many users. The smartphone allows you to access the Internet, install various applications, use online services, communicate in social networks and even pay for purchases at retail outlets. Manufacturers are now installing enough internal memory in phones, which should be enough for your daily needs. However, if you take a lot of photos or record video, the free space quickly runs out. In this case, the files can be transferred to a computer, and what is even more convenient - to cloud storage. Let's take a look at how to save photos to the cloud on Android.

What the cloud is and how to use it

The cloud is a special platform where you can upload various files and documents. All information is stored on the company's servers, and to access it you only need a connection to the Internet. In most cases, you can use the service for free at the initial stages. That is, you are allocated a certain amount of space, which you can occupy with different files.

The main advantage of cloud services is that you can access your downloaded information from anywhere in the world. You don't need to carry around a flash drive all the time, because you just need to connect to the Internet and log into your own account. All the data in the cloud is safe because it can't disappear without the user's intervention. The same cannot be said about the phone, from which information can be deleted as a result of a system error.

It's easy to use the cloud service. The first thing to do is to create an account on one of the platforms, most often with an email address and a password. Later, you will need to install a mobile application on your smartphone, because it is much more convenient to perform all the actions. But also no one forbids you to use the online version of the service, that is, the website.

How to upload photos to the cloud and save data on Android

The principle of saving files to a cloud service depends on the specific platform chosen. Often, you can transfer them manually, or you can activate automatic synchronization. We suggest that you familiarize yourself with each option for uploading information to the cloud.

Automatically

Virtually any phone running the Android operating system has Google services installed by default. Among them, you can find the Google Drive application, which allows you to save files to the cloud storage. The most convenient way is to set up automatic data backup. To do this, first go to the account page:

1. Open the settings.
2. Go to "Accounts", and then select "Google".
3. Authorize in the desired account, to which in the future will be linked all data.
4. Go to menu "Backup".

Now it is desirable to activate the automatic download of photos. The instructions will help you to do it correctly:

1. Click on "Google Photo".
2. Next to the line "Autoloading and synchronization" move the slider to the right. As a result, the indicator should change its color to blue, and a menu with settings will appear below.
3. If you want, you can adjust some settings. For example, select the quality of uploaded photos (You can save an unlimited number of images at high resolution). By default, only photos from the camera are added to the cloud, but you can also specify a specific folder. If the amount of mobile Internet is unlimited, it is possible to activate an option that allows you to use it to download files.

If you want to set up an automatic backup of all data, then activate the "Upload to Google Drive" option.

To view the added photos, you can use the Google Photo app or use the web version of the service.

Manually

Sometimes you need to transfer one or more photos to cloud storage. This can be done through the standard features of the Android operating system, i.e. using services from Google. For example, we need to transfer one very valuable image to the cloud. So how do we do that? Well, it's pretty easy to do:

1. Go to the gallery or app where all the images are stored.
2. Select the picture you want, and then click on the button that appears "Send" or "Share".
3. Choose a service for uploading. This can be Google Photos or Google Drive. In principle, there is not much difference between them, since these platforms are tied to the same account.
4. Check the selected account and click on "Download".

The same way you transfer a specific file to the cloud storage. Open File Explorer first, and then follow the instructions:

1. Select a specific file.
2. Choosing "Send" or "Share".
3. In the window that appears, click on the icon "Save to Disk".
4. Enter a file name or leave the existing one. Choose the appropriate account and folder.
5. Click on "Save".

After these steps, the download of the selected document will begin immediately.

The speed of downloading files to cloud storage depends on a number of factors, including the Internet you are using.

To back up your data, go this way: "Settings" → "Accounts" → "Google" → "Backup". In the last window, click the button "Start copying", pre-specifying the desired account.

The finished copy will be saved to Google Drive.

Popular cloud storage

Cloud storage has become a popular platform for storing many files and documents. That is why today there are hundreds, if not thousands, of such services. We offer a look at the most popular of them below.

Google Drive

We talked a little bit about Google Drive above. It is this platform where all documents and other types of files are saved. For the convenience of working on a smartphone, it is not necessary to use the web version of the storage. It is enough to run the Google Drive application, which is installed by default on phones with the operating system Android.

Initially, all users of the service are given 15 GB of free space, but it can be expanded by purchasing a paid package. The advantages of this cloud storage service include the ability to scan documents through the camera. Of course, the option does not always work perfectly, but its presence will not be superfluous.

You can work with documents directly in the app without having to download them to your device. To upload files to the cloud, use the following instructions:

1. Click on the icon "+The "Home Screen" button on the main screen of the program.
2. Select the format of the downloaded file by clicking "Download". If you want, you can create a thematic folder, where documents of the same type will be uploaded.
3. Select one or more files and wait for the download to complete.

You can follow the download process in the notification panel of your phone.

Google Cloud works with known document extensions, and even lets you download APK app files.

Yandex.Disk

Yandex Disk is an equally well-known service from a Russian company. To work with it, you need to register your Yandex email in advance. By default, each user is given 10 GB of free space, but it can always be increased by participating in promotions and offers on the platform.. It is also impossible not to mention the unlimited photo uploading. That is, images downloaded from the phone will not be counted in the total amount of occupied space.

An interesting feature of the service is the ability to edit photos. The uploaded photo can be rotated, cropped or sharpened. There are also special effects, including an automatic option to enhance the beauty of the eyes. The background loading works steadily, but when saving large files, minor interface hangs are possible. So, to upload a photo to the cloud, follow these steps:

1. Go to the tab "Ribbon"and click on the plus icon.
2. To upload a photo from your phone, select "A picture from the gallery"and to add files - "Files from the device".
3. Select the desired document and wait for it to be added to the cloud.

The cloud storage has background loading, so you can minimize the program.

To protect personal data from unauthorized users, we recommend that you set a password to log in to the application. The following instructions will help you do it correctly:

1. Click on the profile icon in the left corner of the screen.
2. Choosing "Settings".
3. Next to the line "Install PIN"Move the slider to the right. We will create a secure login password and, if necessary, activate fingerprint authorization.

Speaking of which, How to set a password on applications is described in detail in one of our articles.

Mail.ru Cloud

Mail.ru Cloud is another quality cloud storage service from Russian developers. Initially, the user is given 8 GB of free space, which can be expanded in the future by purchasing additional packages. To access the service, you need to authorize in your Mail.ru account, that is, enter the data from the e-mail box.

The interface of the application is clear and simple. In the side menu there are interesting sections, including a menu with statistics on downloads for a certain period of time. Shared access can be set up if you wish, which means that one file can be viewed by several people at the same time. There is also a built-in recycle garbage can, where files deleted from the cloud will be moved, but only for 14 days.

To download the files, follow these steps:

1. Go to the tab "Files"and press the button "+".
2. Choose the file format you want.
3. Highlight a specific object and click on the "Add".

In principle, the functionality of the application is standard. Here there is a background loading, it is possible to set up automatic backup, activate the search for a photo by a specific person and so on. If necessary, you can install password to enter the program:

1. Open the side menu and click on the gear icon.
2. Go to "Protection and safety".
3. Check the box next to "Protection PIN-code".
4. Create a good password, and set up fingerprint unlocking if desired.

In general, the Mail.ru cloud is of high quality and easy to use.

Mega

Mega is a very interesting cloud storage service that offers as much as 65 GB of free space. All files are stored encrypted, which provides a high level of security. You can transfer photos to this cloud very quickly by using automatic backup or manual copying. The service has its own mobile application that works on almost all Android phones.

To add Photo or other file to the cloud, follow these steps:

1. Click the plus sign on the program's main screen.
2. Select the location from which the files will be downloaded.
3. Select the desired file and wait for the procedure to complete.

You can monitor the file download in the notification panel of your smartphone.

The interface of the application is clear, so you won't have to deal with it for a long time. And the main advantage is the ability to add files to work with them offline.

Best services for storage

For storing photos, you can use both the services listed above and other specialized platforms. These will be discussed in detail below.

Google Photos

Google Photos is a narrowly focused service that allows you to save a variety of images to cloud storage. The platform has its own mobile app, installed by default on every phone Android. You can add an unlimited number of photos to the cloud, but only of high quality. With this setting, the algorithm compresses the image on its own, but this has almost no effect on the original resolution.

If you want to add photos in their original quality, you can do this as well. Only in this case, the amount of available space will be limited to 15 GB. You can create themed albums, share uploaded pictures with other people or delete unwanted images in the app if you wish. After deletion, all pictures automatically go to the trash, from which they can be restored if necessary.

To add images to the cloud storage automatically, we recommend that you activate the "Auto Upload and Sync" option.

Dropbox

Dropbox is a reliable platform, or rather a cloud service for working with files. Google Play has a handy mobile app, so you don't have to worry about uploading photos through your browser. By the way, this cloud allows you to work not only with images, but also with other types of documents. You can register in the platform using your account Google.

The standard amount of space provided is two gigabytes, but it can be expanded by inviting friends. For each user you add, you get 500 MB of extra space. Many people like this cloud for the ability to view uploaded files directly from their computer. And this is implemented not in the web version of the platform, but in a full-fledged program. To upload a photo or other file, follow these steps:

1. Click the plus button on the application's main screen.
2. Select the file to be downloaded by clicking on "Downloading files".
3. Select the desired image or document and wait for the download to complete.

If necessary, you can activate the automatic backup of images to protect them from accidental deletion.

OneDrive

OneDrive is Microsoft's famous cloud storage service that allows you to store various categories of files. To access the service you need a special Microsoft account, which is easy to create. Initially, the user is only given 5 GB of free space, but it can always be expanded for an additional fee. The cloud has its own app that works well on phones Android.

Unlike Google Drive, in OneDrive all photos are included in the occupied volume. That is, there is no unlimited space for images. You can view the photos uploaded to the cloud not only through the program on your smartphone, but also through the web version of the service on your PC. Remote file management greatly simplifies the work, making it more comfortable.

Initially, we recommend that you activate the automatic download of all images by going to "Photos" and by clicking on the button "Turn on". In the tab "Parameters"You can change the current settings of the service, for example, add a secret code.

Video tutorial

To summarize, it is possible to save photos in the cloud on your Android phone with the help of special applications. The most convenient is to use the service Google Drive, which is available by default on your smartphone.