Google Photos has over one billion users around the world, but it is far from perfect. Now Google has announced long-awaited features that will make it easier to use and more secure.
In its most recent announcement, Google Photos introduces a new and more secure way to share your photo albums without the risk of them falling into the wrong hands.
Google Photos has added a significant feature upgrade.
Since the update, you can now share an album directly with specific people without having to create a public sharing link first. This simplifies album sharing while at the same time giving you greater control over who can view your images.
Google’s new default sharing method mirrors the private conversation-based sharing feature recently introduced for one-off images. Individual recipients can be invited to view albums directly via their Google accounts. No public links are created and you can revoke access to individuals at any time, resulting in the removal of any photos and videos they may have added to the album.
On the surface, this may seem like a simple convenience feature, but it’s actually hugely important for the protection of Google Photos users.
Now Google Photos can share albums directly, just like individual images.
Previously, sharing an album on Google Photos required you to send a public link that would open the album when clicked. Unfortunately, this method grants full, password-free access to your album to anyone in possession of that link. If the link were to fall into the wrong hands, it’s possible that complete strangers might then be able to view your album without your knowledge. It’s also impossible to revoke an individual’s access once they have the link. The only option being to disable the sharing link altogether, locking everyone out of the album until you re-share it.
Public links have their place, however, and you can still use them as before if you wish. You will need them if, for example, you actually do want to make an album available to the public. They’re also especially useful for inviting people who don’t have Google accounts or if you need to share via other methods such as email or messenger apps.
The new album sharing feature is rolling out now.
