I've been a dedicated user of Google Photos for the past decade, and it remains my top choice among all Google's offerings. However, despite my fondness for it, I can't shake concerns about privacy and the shifting landscape of the service over time, prompting me to consider alternatives.

Why I'm Fond of Google Photos

When Google Photos debuted ten years ago, it transformed how we manage photos on mobile devices. It was free and offered unlimited storage, though with a key condition that we'll explore later. More importantly, it was intuitive and required little setup. While other cloud platforms could also back up images automatically, none were as tailored to the task as this photo-focused service.

There are many reasons why users adore Google Photos.

Navigating your photo collection is simple, and sharing images is straightforward. The search capabilities have grown increasingly robust, enabling you to locate pictures by describing their content rather than recalling when they were captured.

Photo editing has also improved significantly in the past ten years. The standard tools offer solid functionality for quick edits. While not every AI feature hits the mark—like the often ineffective Photo Unblur—the standout tools such as Magic Eraser showcase some of the most practical applications of AI on smartphones today.

For me, Google Photos stands out as the best service Google offers. I use it daily and have accumulated thousands of images within it.

But It Isn’t Without Flaws

Despite its advancements, Google Photos still has its share of frustrations. For instance, there’s no easy way to remove duplicate images. And if you shoot in RAW format on your phone, the app will store those files but won't let you edit them. This forces you to use another app, which then generates additional copies and clutters your library while consuming more storage space.

My concerns go beyond mere usability issues. There are clear privacy and security considerations. Like all Google services, using Photos involves a trade-off: you receive valuable features at no cost, but in return, you give something up.

From the very beginning, photos uploaded to Google Photos have contributed to training Google's AI systems. Although the company claims these images aren't used outside the Photos app, the specifics of their usage and what exactly they're training remain somewhat unclear. Who knows what future developments may bring? We can't assume that all upcoming AI features will be as harmless and beneficial as Magic Eraser.

This was easier to overlook when AI felt like a distant dream. Now that AI is an everyday reality, I’m not alone in being more cautious about how my data is utilized.

Similarly, I’ve become wary of relying too heavily on any single company's ecosystem for various reasons. Lately, I’ve diversified my online habits and moved some activities away from Google. For example, I now use DuckDuckGo as my main search engine and rely more on open-source Android apps.

It's less about being locked into a platform and more about depending on one company for multiple critical services. Losing access to my email would be inconvenient; losing my photos would be upsetting. If I ever lost access to my Google account, I'd lose both.

Another issue is the sense that although Google Photos has evolved into a better product, the overall value proposition has deteriorated. Initially, users received unlimited storage by uploading images in Google's proprietary "high quality" Storage Saver format. In 2020, however, Google rescinded that promise of unlimited storage.

As a result, my library now contains numerous lower-quality uploads. Still images are acceptable, and I keep original backups for anything shot with my dedicated camera. However, video quality definitely suffers, and since I only record videos on my phone, those are permanently compromised.

Moreover, it's no longer free for me, as my storage filled up long ago. I now pay for a Google One subscription. What started as a free and unlimited deal has turned into a paid and limited experience. This circles back to my privacy concerns. There's an old saying that if a service is free, you’re the product. Now that I'm paying, nothing seems to have changed.

Where Do I Go From Here?

Google Photos is an exceptional service. I still recommend it to family members and non-tech-savvy individuals who need a simple, hands-off solution for storing photos. But for me personally, it's time to seek something different.

Where next? Hosting my own photos is an option, but it's not ideal for me. I still prefer the simplicity of Google's approach. Amazon Photos raises similar concerns as Google does. Instead, I plan to try out the open-source Ente Photos to see if it can serve as the new home for my photo collection.

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