How to back up photos to Google Photos on Android

2 min read · 6 steps · Updated 2 October 2026

With backup on, every photo you take is copied to your Google Account and can be seen on any device at photos.google.com. If the phone is lost or breaks, the pictures are still there. The storage is shared with Gmail and Google Drive.

Menu names below are from Google Pixel phones and Google's own apps on a recent Android version. Samsung, Xiaomi and other brands rename some of them.

Step by step

1. Open Google Photos and sign in

   Check at the top right that the account shown is the one you want the photos in.

   Done

2. Tap your profile picture, then Photos settings, then Backup

   Switch Backup on.

   Done

3. Watch the status

   At the top of your library, the app shows Preparing backup, Backing up photos, Backup paused or Backup complete. For one picture, open it, tap More and About, and look under Details.

   Done

4. Decide about mobile data

   Under Backup, Mobile data usage, set a daily limit or leave it at Wi-Fi only. Separate switches allow videos over mobile data and backup while roaming. Leave roaming off unless you know your tariff.

   Done

5. Add other folders

   By default the camera folder is backed up. Under Back up device folders you can add folders such as WhatsApp images, screenshots or downloads, or switch on Back up all device folders.

   Done

6. Keep an eye on the storage

   A Google Account has 15 GB free for Photos, Gmail and Drive together. The backup settings show how much is left. When it is full, backup stops until you delete things or buy more storage.

   Done

Good to know

Photos that are backed up stay in the account when you delete the app or change phones. Deleting a backed-up photo in Google Photos, though, deletes it everywhere, on the phone and in the cloud. It stays in the bin for a time first.

To free space on the phone, Google Photos can remove the local copies of pictures that are safely backed up: Free up space on this device, in the profile menu.

Backup of photos is separate from the backup of apps and settings: how to back up an Android phone to your Google Account.

If a picture is gone: how to recover deleted photos on Android.

In short: Google Photos, profile picture, Photos settings, Backup on. Check the status at the top of the library, set mobile data use, add folders, watch the 15 GB.