How to Share Media in Google Photos Using the App's New Direct Messaging Feature

[MacRumors]

Google Photos for iOS offers users several picture and video sharing options like live albums, shared libraries, and shared albums, and now Google has built a messaging service into its Photos app that makes it possible to share individual snaps and video clips as part of an ongoing conversation.

Why Add a Messaging Service to a Photos App?

Previously, sharing individual photos through the app was done by creating an album for the photo and sharing a link to it, but user feedback suggested to Google that this sharing option could be a simpler experience, so it's adding an option to share individual photos as part of an ongoing, private conversation. You can like photos or comment in the conversation, and you can save photos or videos to your own gallery.

Google says the new messaging feature isn't designed to replace the chat apps you already use, but it hopes that by including an option, users will find sharing moments with friends and family easier than before. Here's how it works.

How to Share Media in a Google Photos Chat Thread

1. Launch the Google Photos app on your iPhone or iPad.
2. Tap a picture in your library that you want to share.
3. Tap the Share icon (the square with an arrow pointing out).
   
   
   
   Type in the name or email address of the person with whom you want to share the photo, or select a contact from the Share Sheet options. You can also start a group chat by adding as many people as you like.
4. Type a message to accompany the photo, then tap Send.
   You can keep up with the chat thread that you just created via the Sharing tab. You can easily share more photos in the conversation using the picture symbol next to the message input field at the bottom of the chat thread.
   
   

The person you shared the photo with will receive an email notifying them, and if they've got the Google Photos app installed on their device, they'll receive an alert inviting them to join the chat.

Article Link: How to Share Media in Google Photos Using the App's New Direct Messaging Feature

 

[@meinertzhagen]

After so many years, Google's messaging strategy is still mind-boggling.

 

[Agit21]

Google photos is a great service. But these messaging options are....strange.

 

[EchoplexSE]

Is there a way to turn this off by default?

 

[mrgraff]

Why?

If I was Google, I'd just add a "Browse my Google Photos" button to the messaging app that they already have, "Hangouts"

 

[JosephAW]

Another way is to long press on the app and press the X when it appears.

 

[Ion-X]

Why?

If I was Google, I'd just add a "Browse my Google Photos" button to the messaging app that they already have, "Hangouts"

Hate to break it to you... but Google is discontinuing Hangouts for consumers.

 

[4jasontv]

Hate to break it to you... but Google is discontinuing Hangouts for consumers.

This is true. Be sure to learn these steps now before Google Photo is discontinued.

 

[H3LL5P4WN]

How about instead of building instant messaging into the photos app, they make the photos app actually upload on android when a user saves a photo on their device.

You know, kinda what the app was supposed to do, on their own operating system.

(I have an android device. I user 500 Firepaper as it's live wallpaper. Occasionally I save a photo from it. I have to manually force Google Photos to upload on said device, to get that photo over to iCloud.)

 

[Sasparilla]

Bizarre. Photo's now had a full on messaging app built inside of it that they control and monitor, wonder if they'll spread this to their other apps? Can't imagine why Google would do that. \s

 

[MisterSavage]

After so many years, Google's messaging strategy is still mind-boggling.

This. So much this. Google Allo, killing Hangouts, etc.