Google’s relatively new Photos service, launched in May this year, has been getting better and better. I personally love it; I use it daily to find old photos, to share photos with family and friends, and now, they can collaborate on my albums with me.
It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Google believes that sharing photos and videos between friends and family after your birthday bash or holiday gathering shouldn’t be difficult. Until now, though, it mostly has been — I’m often asking others to send me photos, and it’s not really easy. They come in an email, I have to save them someplace, then upload them to photos. There should be an easier way.
In September, Google promised us that easier way, and now it’s here; shared albums in Google Photos—a fast and simple way to pool your photos and videos that makes it easier to bring everyone’s memories together.
As the video above shows, using Shared Albums is a cinch. Let’s take a kids birthday party as a good example. I’ll take my photos, and share them in an album through Google Photos. I can share that with my partner, and the grandparents too. Anyone else who took photos can add their photos to the album too, and everyone who’s watching the album will get those updates too.
There’s no configuration required either; simply select photos, make an album and then send the link off to whomever you’d like. And it works no matter what device your friends and family are using—tablet or laptop, Android or iPhone.
Shared Photo Albums is live from today, and you should be able to find it in the Photos app. Another reason to consider the service if you’re not already using it.
Been waiting for this for a long time, time for Christmas 🙂