Google Photos can take up less space on your phone with new mobile support

By Hillary K. Grigonis Published June 4, 2018

Google Photos can back up images, edit your photos, share albums — and now you may not have to download the full app to get those features. Google Photos online platform is now available as a Progressive Web App, which means the webpage has similar app features without talking up space on your smartphone for the app itself. The Progressive Web App is available on browsers that support PWAs, including Chrome on Android and Chrome OS, at photos.google.com.

Google was quiet about the change, but users spotted the update over the weekend. Inside Chrome with the PWAs enabled, Google Photo maintains more of the app’s features from the web browser. PWA webpages can also be saved as a shortcut on the home screen, which allows users to access the webpage in a process just like opening the app.

Recommended Videos

The Google Photos PWA allows users to access their images similar to the access inside the app, including creating albums, sharing photos and the assistant. Android users using Chrome may also get a popup shortcut to add the webpage to the home screen. The PWA version is missing a few things, however, including notifications and offline photos.

PWAs use less device storage than the complete apps while offering some of the same feel. Google says PWAs are also designed for a reliable and fast experience. Google Photos move to a PWA helps users access photos stored online while taking up less space on the device itself.

Google introduced PWA at the Chrome Dev Summit in late 2016. The format treats the webpages like an app rather than opening them in Chrome. And while Google Photos doesn’t appear to support notifications in PWA form yet, the format makes it possible to enable features like notifications even without the full app download. Since the launch, PAWs have been activated for Chrome Dev and Canary apps, while Safari is also adding support.

Google launched several tweaks to the Photos Platform over the last few weeks. Social reactions are arriving inside the app, while a developer program allows for third-party integrations with the cloud photo service. Last month, Google also rolled out new artificial intelligence-powered features for the app.

Hillary K. Grigonis

Former Contributor

Hillary never planned on becoming a photographer—and then she was handed a camera at her first writing job and she's been…

Topics

Phones

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8: Everything we know about the upcoming clamshell folding phone

Of the three phones expected to arrive at Galaxy Unpacked, the Flip 8 is shaping up to be the most underwhelming.

Three Galaxy Z Flip 7 models next to each other

The Fold 8 Ultra could get a sharper display, a more powerful chipset, a new camera, and a larger battery. Samsung’s purported wider foldable, the Fold 8, is expected to solve the most common problem with tall-body, narrow cover screens by adopting a new aspect ratio. The Flip 8, on the other hand, could only debut with a new chip, and not a Snapdragon one.

The Flip 7 wasn’t a bad clamshell by any measure. However, it's been one year, and the memory crisis has already hit the smartphone market hard. In a tricky cost-to-margin situation, the Flip 8 could end up getting a price hike without any major improvements, and that might not sit well with potential buyers.

Phones

Google Contacts borrows a handy iPhone trick to make sharing your number easier

google-contacts-app

Google is rolling out a small but useful update to the Contacts app on Android that makes it much easier to find and share your own contact details. Instead of digging through settings or creating a separate contact for yourself, you'll now see a dedicated 'Your Info' card at the very top of your contacts list.

The feature gives you quick access to your phone number, email addresses, and other personal details while also adding a faster way to share them with others. The update is arriving with Google Contacts version 4.83.13.940538822 and is rolling out widely (via 9to5Google).

Phones

Another Apple price hike just landed, this time on Apple One

Family and Premier Apple One subscribers will now pay $24 more each year.

Apple One

Apple has raised the monthly price of its Family and Premier Apple One bundles in the US. The Family plan now costs $27.95 per month, up from $25.95, while Premier has climbed from $37.95 to $39.95. Both plans are now $2 more expensive each month, adding another $24 to the annual bill. The Individual plan remains unchanged at $19.95 per month.

The increase arrives shortly after Apple raised subscription prices for Apple Music across its student, individual, and family plans. New AppleCare+ customers buying coverage for Macs and iPads have also been hit by higher prices recently.