This exact issue was the final straw for me ditching google photos! I had previously been using syncthing to sync & backup the photos, same as other files on my phone and laptop.<p>I now use Immich [1] (mentioned elsewhere in this thread but without the proper link), having purchased a single-payment lifetime family licence. There is, as I understand it, no benefit to me to purchase it. After a month of use it was clear this was going to stay in use for quite a while, and the author(s) have done a fantastic job. So feel free to give it a shot, alongside google photos app on your phone, and see how you feel.<p>It's not for everyone though, as I have an old computer at home running as a 'server' that can host immich. There's a certain nerd level requirement (that this forum should be full of) to get it set up. For users though? It's so far seamless -- my partner uses the app on her phone and likes it just fine. The backup works for her and there's a single button to click to clear space on her phone that just deletes things immich knows are on our home server already. Very useful.<p>I still open google photos app to edit videos occasionally -- it's better at that, and I do still use the google built in 'camera' app, so I'm kind of using google photos while I take pictures if that makes sense.<p>[1] <a href="https://immich.app/" rel="nofollow">https://immich.app/</a>
You know what I wish I could ditch but cannot due to their firm grip on it, Google Wallet.<p>Every other time I open it, it shows a pop-up asking "Can we use your payment data to show you more relevant ads?" which is annoying but what's more aggravating is the choices: "Yes", "Remind me Later".
Older people (seen it at 65+) will just click the nag without knowing what the button does and end up beaming up all photos to google cloud with no ability to disable the nag (it keeps showing up after a while) even when dismissed. If you are concerned about your data privacy, you may want to check on what photos of say your kids your parents are beaming up to google without their or your knowledge.
It is worse than that. It fills up your accounts cloud storage, where your Google docs, sheets, drive files etc are stored.<p>Once full you are caught in their trap: pay a monthly fee to the mafia or delete your data!<p>This flow is intentional and they have set up everything to bring you there. The Photo-Backup popup (and arguably the whole photo feature) helps to shovel users more quickly to the end of the monetization funnel.
Eventually all those valuable pics they take will be lost if GP is disabled and phone is lost or screen damaged.<p>And someone will complain - you can't even have sensible defaults.<p>I understand you perhaps have hatred for google but hosting immich or ente is not for everyone.<p>It is far easier for average Jose to pay for GP or some cloud.<p>Unless you plan to setup at least some free cloud don't bother to lecture others
Gmail uses the same storage space for a few years now. Fill it up and you can't receive emails any more.
storing important files with google is risky business anyway. you could lose them for any other stupid reason, and im sure there is nothing you can do but blame yourself for trusting them.
I use Ente photos [0] without logging in, just as a local gallery. Since their backup solution is E2EE, it does everything on-device – face/object search, map view, memories<p>[0] <a href="https://ente.com" rel="nofollow">https://ente.com</a>
I have a similar question: how do I stop Google photos asking me to update every time I open it?<p>"You're missing out<p>Update your Google photos app for the newest features"<p>... I have zero interest in updating. I'm not missing out on anything... other than being able to browse my photos without this annoying message getting in the way.
For pixel owners: the Google photos app cannot be uninstalled, but you can disable it using adb.
On web I use an adblocker to block annoying google popups, including the Gemini one in gmail.<p>Immich is an amazing alternative. People should give it a chance.
One click install: <a href="https://malmo.network/store/immich" rel="nofollow">https://malmo.network/store/immich</a>
Ah, bigcorp with the Pick-Up Artist model of consent: keep asking until they relent.<p>I find Google Photos asks me once every update. I got a Pixel 9 with 1 year of free Gemini Pro (or whatever version it is, their offering almost feels like Windows 7 Home Enterprise Ultimate), but because of their nagging about the backup I loathe to give them money to subscribe to Gemini beyond that.<p>I have a Google Pixel 1 I got from eBay, with "lifetime free photos backup", sitting plugged in on a shelf. Every evening my main phone syncs photos I take on it to my NAS, and another app copies the images from the NAS to that Pixel phone, which then backs it up to Google Photos... it's my finger to Google for being the enshittfiying assholes they are
The answer in the thread (which is quite hard to find) is to use the Google Photos app without an account.<p>The app has some very nice features that are locked behind account access though.
One benefit of having a Samsung, you can uninstall google photos and still be able to use your camera.
Benefit of having a Pixel, you can install Graphene OS and get rid of all of the BS and not have a second layer of Samsung's shit all over it.
you can do that on any modern Android phone, just install Shizuku + Canta and "uninstall" whatever Google app you don't like
I wonder why google locked it..
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