Google Photos is more than just a standard gallery app on iPhone and Android. Google’s offering is packed with cloud backup, photo and video editing features, AI tools like Magic Eraser, and more. You may notice different cloud icons on the Google Photos media library. They serve a specific purpose and show the current status of your photos and videos. Here’s what cloud icon in Google Photos means.
Google Photos has a media backup option to make your photos and videos available on all your devices. The app uses a cloud icon to indicate the upload status for your photos, videos, and albums. Read along to learn the meaning of cloud with a slash, cloud with a checkmark, cloud with an arrow pointing up, and steps to get rid of the cloud symbol next to photos in the app.
What Does Cloud Icon Mean in Google Photos
Google Photos uses different cloud symbols to indicate the upload status of your media library and albums.
When you first launch the Google Photos app on iPhone or Android, the app asks you to enable backup for your account. If you skip the auto-backup option, the app shows a cloud icon below each photo and video and indicates its live status.
Cloud With Slash
Unlike the default Photos app on iPhone, Google Photos offers an option to back up selected photo albums only. This means you can enable backup for your camera and other important albums and skip it for screenshots, WhatsApp, and other unnecessary albums.
You can launch Google Photos and move to the Library menu. You don’t see any cloud icons below folders that are already backed up. However, you notice a small cloud icon with slash below albums that aren’t backed up yet. You can check the screenshot below for reference.
You can upload a specific folder to Google Photos and remove the cloud with a slash icon. Here’s how.
Step 1: Launch Google Photos and open a specific folder from the Library menu.
Step 2: Enable the Backup toggle.
You will no longer see a cloud icon slash after Google Photos uploads all media files to the server.
Cloud With Check Mark
It’s the most common cloud icon you notice in Google Photos. When you disable media backup at startup, the app takes you to the Photos tab.
The Photos menu shows your camera photos and backed-up photos from your previous devices. Photos and videos that have been backed up show a cloud icon with a checkmark.
You need to enable Google Photos backup on your device to get rid of such cloud icons with a check mark (more on that later).
Cloud With Arrow Pointing Up
Do you frequently notice a cloud icon with an arrow pointing up? It indicates that your media is waiting to be backed up to Google Photos. When your phone connects to Wi-Fi or mobile data, the app will upload photos and videos and hide the cloud icon with an arrow pointing up.
You can tap on your account picture’s top-right corner and check the number of items left to be backed up. If you have an unlimited mobile data plan, make sure to use mobile data to backup media files on Google Photos. That way, your photos and videos are always backed up to the service, and you no longer see a cloud icon with the arrow pointing up.
How to Get Rid of Cloud Symbol in Google Photos
If you don’t want to see a cloud symbol in Google Photos, enable backup for your account. Follow the steps below to make changes.
Step 1: Launch Google Photos on your phone.
Step 2: Tap the account picture in the top-right corner and open the Photos settings.
Step 3: Select Backup.
Step 4: Enable the Backup toggle.
Step 5: Scroll down to Settings and tap Backup quality.
You have three options:
- Original quality: Back up your media library with no change to quality. All your photos and videos will be uploaded in full resolution.
- Storage saver: The option can store more at a slightly reduced quality.
- Express: It delivers the fastest backup at the lowest resolution.
Step 6: You can also tap Mobile data usage and put a daily cap on cellular data usage.
You may run into errors with media backup if your Google account runs low on storage. You can upgrade to one of the Google One plans to unlock more storage or check our dedicated guide to free up space.
Unlock Google Photos’ Full Potential
While Google Photos is quite capable, different cloud icons can confuse new users. If you still have questions about different icons and symbols in Google Photos, shoot them up in the comments section below.
Categories: How to
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