Google Is Finally Letting Android Back Up Photos Without the Cloud. I Built an App for That.

Google has recently introduced automatic photo and video backup from Android phones to a Windows PC, using Quick Share without relying on the cloud. This feature was announced in the November Google Play services release notes, version 26.43. The developer of Lomorage, a home photo backup app, is excited by this development as it aligns with their long-standing idea about keeping photos on personal hardware.

The old options for photo backup either involved paying for cloud storage or manually copying files via USB, both of which had their drawbacks. Google's new approach addresses these issues by enabling automatic, local backup over home networks. However, it is not a complete solution, as it currently only supports Android phones and Windows PCs.

The developer acknowledges that this feature is a step forward but emphasizes that a comprehensive backup system should ideally cover all family members, regardless of their device preferences, and offer features like searching and organizing photos. Lomorage is presented as an alternative solution that provides a more robust and family-friendly backup system.

It allows iPhones and Android phones to back up automatically to various devices, including Windows PCs, Macs, NAS, and Raspberry Pi. Lomorage retains the original quality of photos and videos, offers powerful search capabilities, and ensures that all family members have separate accounts while sharing a single home library. The developer also highlights the importance of keeping a backup of irreplaceable photos on another storage device and maintaining a free version of the app with a one-time purchase price.