Skip to main content

Google+ Photos app now available for all Chromebooks, not just Pixel

chromebook-google-photos-app

Good news for those of you thinking of buying a Chromebook (possibly one of the upcoming rumored Asus models?) but were a little put off by the fact that only the elite Chromebook Pixel includes the Google+ Photos app. Google announced yesterday that its Google+ Photos app is now available for all Chromebooks in the Chrome Web Store.

According to a blog post by Google’s Steve McKay, the Google+ Photos app was released this summer exclusively for Chromebook Pixel. Whether it’s to boost the sales of its Chromebooks or to appease those who already own the non-Pixel flavors, Google’s bringing the app to all – and in 52 languages at that.

In case you’re not familiar, the Chromebook is an Internet-dependent laptop that’s powered by Google’s Chrome operating system. All of the apps that run on the Chromebook are Web apps – including email, documents, music, etc., – so, unless you’ve downloaded those files to your computer in advance, you won’t have access to them when not connected to the Internet.

However, Google+ Photos can help, at least in the photos area. When you plug an SD card into your Chromebook, the Google+ Photos app will automatically begin backing up your photos to Google+. Don’t worry; they won’t be made public until you give your permission. With the Google+ Photos app, the your most recent photos are automatically placed on your computer so you can still view them when you’re offline. 

Another cool feature is that Google will pick what it thinks are the top shots from your uploaded photos, and will highlight them while backing up your shots. The app also lets you share individual photos, a set of photos, or an entire album “within seconds.”

Got a Chromebook? Head over to the Chrome Web Store to download the Google+ Photos app now. 

Editors' Recommendations

Jennifer Bergen
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Jennifer Bergen is the Computing Section Editor at Digital Trends and is in charge of all things laptops, desktops, and their…
This portable Lenovo Chromebook just had its price slashed to $105
Lenovo Chromebook 3 11 on wooden desk.

Shoppers usually turn to Chromebook deals when the laptop deals that they see are still too expensive. Here's one of the most affordable options -- the Lenovo Chromebook 3 for just $105, as its original price of $139 was slashed by Best Buy for $34 in savings. There's no telling how much time is left on the offer though, so if you think the Chromebook would work great for you, there's no reason to hesitate on making the purchase.

Why you should buy the Lenovo Chromebook 3
Lenovo is no stranger to our list of the best Chromebooks, and the Lenovo Chromebook 3 shows the brand's expertise in making devices that are powered by Google's Chrome OS. It's powered by the Intel Celeron N4020 processor, Intel UHD Graphics 600, and 4GB of RAM, which actually don't look like much on paper. However, since Chrome OS is designed to utilize web-based apps instead of installed software, as we mentioned in our Chromebook versus laptop discussion, the Lenovo Chromebook 3 still performs smoothly. It also only has 64GB eMMC flash memory, which would be extremely limiting for traditional laptops but not in the case of Chromebooks, as they come with built-in support for cloud storage.

Read more
Google Bard just took a big step toward being a proper ChatGPT rival
ChatGPT versus Google on smartphones.

The Google Bard AI chatbot can now complete various programming and software development tasks such as code generation, code debugging, and explanation of code.

This was an important missing feature in Bard's ability to compete with ChatGPT, the most popular AI chatbot right now.

Read more
Google just made a big change to how Chromebooks apps work
Acer Chromebook Vero 514 top down view showing vents.

Chrome Apps on your Chromebook is finally about to be replaced by Progressive Web Apps (PWA), with the latest Chrome stable version 112 as the starting point.

It's an initiative almost five years in the making, and this change brings a few notable benefits.

Read more