Google Photos will keep your photos as long as you stay under your storage limit or sign in every so often. Inactive accounts risk deletion.
As smartphone cameras continue to get better, more people than ever are taking more photos than ever, and the storage can’t keep up. Moreover, phones break, and they get lost or stolen. That’s why photo storage solutions have become so popular, with one of the most recognizable being Google Photos. Its popularity is part and parcel with its simplicity. You simply download the app, log in, and toggle on the backup feature. From then on, every photo you snap or save is uploaded to Google’s cloud, where it can be indexed and edited with powerful, free AI tools.
Google brings a lot of value to the table with Photos, but entrusting a third party with your most precious memories — especially one with so many privacy concerns — can’t help but feel risky. What guarantee do you have that your pictures and videos will be there tomorrow, let alone next year, or a decade from now? Google kills useful products all the time, and it could pull the plug on Photos at any moment.
There’s no way to predict what Google will do with Photos in the future (though its enormous user base is hopefully enough to keep it alive). As for right now, Google pinky promises not to pull the rug out from under you. According to documentation for Google Photos, your files are safe and sound.so long as you pay your bills on time and log in at least once every couple of years. Here’s how long Google Photos will keep your photos saved before deleting them.
