Google Photos Smarter Backup: Save Your Smartphone Battery

Source: Android Authority Google Photos, a very popular cloud storage app for images and videos, is soon going to introduce a new feature that will help enhance the battery life of smartphones. Until now, the backup options available in the Google Photos app have been centred around data management, where users could choose to upload their files via Wi-Fi, mobile data, or simply stop the backup process altogether. But what has been a concern for users until now is the lack of control over the app’s constant background operations, which tend to consume battery life quickly. The new “Optimise backup for battery life” feature is soon going to address this issue by optimising the frequency of Google Photos’ background sync operations. How the “Optimise backup for battery life” feature works According to the teardown of Google Photos version 7.59, there is a toggle switch called “Optimise backup for battery life.” If the toggle switch is turned on, the app will behave in a different way in the background. The app won’t sync the new photos and videos in the background as soon as they are taken, but it will sync them less often when the device is idle or when the user is not actively using Google Photos. This implies that the battery of your device will not be depleted constantly as a result of frequent network activities or background processing. By restricting unnecessary syncing, users can increase the battery life of their devices without switching off the backup option entirely, making it a convenient solution for mobile users who rely heavily on their devices. How Google Photos manages syncing to save battery Though the feature is battery life-focused, it may result in minute differences in the display of content on different devices. Images and videos captured during the daytime may not be displayed immediately on the web or other connected devices. Backups may begin only when users open the app, ensuring that content reaches Google’s cloud storage service but in a battery life-friendly manner. This is a fair trade-off between the need for convenience and the need for extending battery life. Those who are always on the move or have older machines with smaller batteries will find this helpful in alleviating power stress caused by continuous background activity. Why this feature is important for users Prior to this, if Google Photos was eating away at the battery life in the background with syncs, users were left with very few choices: either turn off backups altogether, which would mean risking battery life, or set battery limits at the system level. The new feature provides a much more intelligent solution that adjusts the level of backups based on usage. This is particularly important for users who: Often take photos or videos of the day Use devices with smaller battery capacities Want uninterrupted access to media without worrying about rapid battery drain Through the provision of this control, Google enables users to control both the performance of their device and the security of their data at the same time. How to enable the feature once it launches At the moment, Google has not yet announced when this feature will be available. However, the fact that this feature was found in the latest app teardown shows that Google is currently working on this feature and may release it in the future updates of the app. Users are advised to monitor the updates of Google Photos to enable this feature. End of Article