Google Photos is an app that lets you save unlimited pictures and videos for free. Unlike its competitors, there's no limited amount of storage for free before you have to start paying a monthly fee for more storage. Also, not many other cloud-based storage apps let you save both pictures and videos.

No other app, that I know of, can compare when it comes to something that lets everyone hold onto memories they cherish the most.

The first thing we do when we're with family, friends, or on vacation is take out our smartphone and start snapping pictures and selfies. We capture moments so we can go back to reminisce and share them with our friends and family on social media.

Google Photos is universal

It doesn't matter where you are or what device you're using as long as you have an internet connection, a smartphone, and/or a computer you are able to access your pictures anywhere. It's a free download on both Android and ios. To access Google Photos on a computer just simply go to its website, sign in, and voilà.

Switching or upgrading to a new phone can be worrisome because the thought of losing our pictures is scary.

I'm constantly switching back and forth between my iPhone and Pixel XL and I love how easy it is for me to download the app, sign in and have all of my pictures and videos back instantly. Oh, and you can download them back to your phone or computer if you need to.

How Google Photos works

Google Photos backup process works the same on iOS and Android. After you take a photo and connect to a WiFi network your photo(s) will automatically begin to backup after opening the app on iOS. The app doesn't have to be opened at all when using an Android. Let's say you already have pictures in your gallery, once you open the app all of those photos will begin to backup as well. Turning off WiFi will stop the backup process unless you choose to have your pictures sync over cellular data as well.

To upload a photo or video using a computer is done with a simple drag and drop.

After you're done backing-up your pictures you're able to delete them from your device, saving you more storage for other apps, updates, or your next batch of pictures and videos. If you accidentally delete a picture or video in Google Photos you'll be able to recover it with the undo button or from the trash tab. Your pictures aren't completely deleted unless you empty out your trash. After that, they're deleted and can no longer be recovered.

Google Photos perks and conclusion

Saving pictures and storage aren't the only things Google Photos has to offer. For example, you can create albums, it has a photo and video editor (you can only trim and rotate a video), and Photo Books, which is a service that Google offers its users to have pictures of their choosing made into a photo album and delivered to you.

You're also able to share albums with each other. For example, you can choose or create an album you'd like to share with friends or family and when they add a picture to that album you'll automatically receive the picture and vice versa. Other little things like gifs, picture animations, and A.I. edited photos and videos are done by the assistant. Occasionally, you'll receive notifications letting you know a movie or picture was edited for you and you can choose whether to save it or not.

I've personally been using Google Photos since its release in 2015. I never used to save my pictures and videos before. Now I have no reason not to. It's fun, It's convenient, and best of all it's free.