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Unexpected finding after activating my new Pixel 9

rootabaga

rootabaga

Android Expert
I have had a gmail account for a very long time, since before smartphones. And my first several smartphones were Androids, until a few years back when I started using an iPhone work had given me. I recently returned to the Android world with a new Pixel 9, and after activating it I was checking the photos folder and found some old pictures I had taken on former Android devices. Unbeknownst to me, they had ended up stored in my Google account and it downloaded them to my new Pixel (which also explains why I lost a lot of device storage!).
A little digging helped me find them in Google Photos and while I'm 90+% certain I have them already on a laptop (as well as a backup device), I'm currently exporting them through Google Takeout, after which I'll delete them from the Google repository and my new Pixel. I'm still a bit baffled as to how they ended up in Google Photos to begin with, though; it was quite unexpected, though it was also good to see some of the pictures again, especially since some were of my mom who I lost almost 11 years ago.
Anyway, most of you probably already know about Google Photos and you're like "DUH!," but just in case someone isn't, log into your google account and check your photos.
 
rootabaga said:
I have had a gmail account for a very long time, since before smartphones. And my first several smartphones were Androids, until a few years back when I started using an iPhone work had given me. I recently returned to the Android world with a new Pixel 9, and after activating it I was checking the photos folder and found some old pictures I had taken on former Android devices. Unbeknownst to me, they had ended up stored in my Google account and it downloaded them to my new Pixel (which also explains why I lost a lot of device storage!).
A little digging helped me find them in Google Photos and while I'm 90+% certain I have them already on a laptop (as well as a backup device), I'm currently exporting them through Google Takeout, after which I'll delete them from the Google repository and my new Pixel. I'm still a bit baffled as to how they ended up in Google Photos to begin with, though; it was quite unexpected, though it was also good to see some of the pictures again, especially since some were of my mom who I lost almost 11 years ago.
Anyway, most of you probably already know about Google Photos and you're like "DUH!," but just in case someone isn't, log into your google account and check your photos.
Click to expand...
(I hate using google photos though it uploads everything and you cannot redownload it though, but alas I feel old when I always save my photographs on my p.c. - I am anti-cloud in that way) Yeah Google take out I have done that same process over and over Root, sounds like my subconscious too man, I always did Take out too.
 
^^^ You can indeed "re-download" the photos, which is just what I did. You end up with a zipped folder containing the photos, associated json files with metadata and an HTML file that I assume you can use to view the pictures with their associated metadata.

Deleting them after the download proved to be a little more challenging, but from there it was just emptying the trash and I regained the space, at least in my Google account.

Somewhat surprising to me was that although I turned off the backup feature for the Pixel, it went ahead and deleted the photos from the phone.
 
rootabaga said:
^^^ You can indeed "re-download" the photos, which is just what I did. You end up with a zipped folder containing the photos, associated json files with metadata and an HTML file that I assume you can use to view the pictures with their associated metadata.

Deleting them after the download proved to be a little more challenging, but from there it was just emptying the trash and I regained the space, at least in my Google account.

Somewhat surprising to me was that although I turned off the backup feature for the Pixel, it went ahead and deleted the photos from the phone.
Click to expand...
Yup I did that in the past man. I wonder if my sister knows this trick, her google photos are way up in the percentage range.
 
ocnbrze said:
i still have photos that i took on my htc hero!!!!
Click to expand...
Sounds like you're a hero! :)
My very first digital camera was a 2MP HP. I owned it for maybe two days before I returned it...pics were awful.
I honestly can't recall my first mobile phone that had a camera. Maybe a Razr?
 
rootabaga said:
Sounds like you're a hero! :)
My very first digital camera was a 2MP HP. I owned it for maybe two days before I returned it...pics were awful.
I honestly can't recall my first mobile phone that had a camera. Maybe a Razr?
Click to expand...
I still probably have photos on my moto z2... (Sorry brain fart)
 
Milo Williamson said:
I still probably have photos on my moto z2... (Sorry brain fart)
Click to expand...
is that what smells?
Pet Stinks GIF by Sealed With A GIF
 
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