How to share Google Photos and Videos with family and friends from your Android smartphone or tablet

Google Photos is one of the most widely used photo and video backup services in the world, thanks to the popularity of Android smartphones. This service provides users with the ability to back up photos and videos from their smartphone or tablet, allowing access on other signed-in devices. However, Google also allows users to share their images and videos with other Google users, as well as those who do not have a Google Account, with the help of public links.

With the holidays coming up, here’s a handy guide to sharing your favorite photos and videos on Google Photos, from the easiest options (share link) to the fastest (Share Nearby) on your smartphone or tablet.

Sharing your photos via a link can be convenient, but it may not be the most private method. This is because anyone with the link can access the shared image or video. If you want a more private way to share your images, you can do so through Google Messaging service in the Photos app or via a shared album. If you’re near someone you want to share an album with your roommate, you can also share heavy photos and videos quickly and wirelessly using the Nearby Sharing feature.

How to share Google Photos with Shared Albums

1. Open Google Photos app on your smartphone or tablet.
2. Light weight Share and then select Create shared albums.
3. After providing the album title, tap Choose a photo to select images and videos.
4. Once you’ve selected all the images you need, tap Share.
5. Now you can select contacts for sharing in the Google Photos app.
6. These contacts will see the shared album in their Google Photos app.

How to Share Google Photos with In-App Messages

1. Open Google Photos app on your smartphone or tablet.
2. Light weight to select a photo, or touch and drag to select images and videos to share.
3. Choose Share button appears.
4. Search Send in Google Photos section.
5. You can now select the contact to share the photo with.

How to share Google Photos with Nearby Share (Android only)

1. On your Android smartphone, open Google Photos application.
2. Light weight to select a photo, or touch and drag to select images and videos to share.
3. Choose Share button appears.
4. Click Share nearby optional, then select user(s) you want to share with.
5. Recipients will also need to check their settings to turn on Nearby Sharing.
6. Ask the recipient to press Accept to start the transfer and wait until it’s done.