Skip to main content

Four reasons Google+ photo feature is better than Facebook’s

google+ photosFacebook is unequivocally the place to post photos. Since its origins, it has made a name for itself as an image-sharing platform and its tagging technology set the standard for competitor applications. Of course we’ve all heard by now that Google+ is on the scene and doing what it can to challenge Facebook on all fronts, including photos. And we’ve got to say, so far it’s doing a damn good job.

There are plenty of obstacles Google+ will have to deal with if it intends to challenge Facebook’s status as the most-used photo-sharing application. First and foremost, the fact that Facebook has blocked the ability to import contacts and images makes a pretty persuasive argument for keeping your photos on the site. What’s the use of posting images A) if not all your contacts can see them (although there’s currently a tool for that, use it while you can!), and B) when all your other content is already on Facebook? Also, the ability to upload and download high res images is a big plus for more serious photographers.

All that being said, Google+ does some very good things that might convince you to muddle through some of its early growing pains.

Comments

commentsGoogle+ photos put comments off to the side, versus Facebook Photos which showcase them down below. It’s a small difference, but unless you have an ungodly amount of comments (if a person filled the entire sample box you could fit approximately 9-10 before having to scroll and view more), they can all be displayed without having to scroll down and cut off the image to read them.

Photo details

As social networking sites become the home of more and more high-quality photos as well as a place for advanced photographers, photo details become more important. Even if skilled shooters don’t choose to share their professional portfolios on Google+, their personal photos are likely inspiring as well. We’ve found ourselves wondering time and time again what kind of camera someone used or what ISO setting they chose when looking at Facebook photos, and this detail is a nice touch for Google+. We’d even say it’s something that will become more necessary as consumers become increasingly camera savvy.

photo details

editEditing

While photo details appeal to those with a more critical eye, the editing tool might be more entry-level friendly. We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: Advanced photographers generally have their own software and editing routines, and built-in applications like this aren’t very tempting. However, for the more casual user, this free tool means all-in-one, single-stop photo sharing. We’ve said before that Facebook would do well to build in some of these tools, and we wouldn’t be surprised to see them in the future.

Layout

While the UI differences between Facebook Photos and Google+’s application will probably take some getting used to, we think it’s an upgrade. The display and sizing variances in Google+ are much more layoutinteresting and intuitive than Facebook’s. However, we’re willing to admit this could very well be a personal preference. We like how viewing individual photos against the all black, slightly transparent background is cleaner, and that images fill up more of your screen. Using your mouse to scroll also lets you flip through the album, all of which is viewable in thumbnails below.

Editors' Recommendations

Molly McHugh
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Before coming to Digital Trends, Molly worked as a freelance writer, occasional photographer, and general technical lackey…
Fujifilm’s successor to the wildly popular X100V has just landed
fujifilm unveils x100v successor x100vi

FUJIFILM X100VI Promotional Video/ FUJIFILM

Fujifilm has finally unveiled the successor to its super-popular X100V camera.

Read more
How to download Instagram photos for free
Instagram app running on the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5.

Instagram is amazing, and many of us use it as a record of our lives — uploading the best bits of our trips, adventures, and notable moments. But sometimes you can lose the original files of those moments, leaving the Instagram copy as the only available one . While you may be happy to leave it up there, it's a lot more convenient to have another version of it downloaded onto your phone or computer. While downloading directly from Instagram can be tricky, there are ways around it. Here are a few easy ways to download Instagram photos.

Read more
Astronaut captures stunning images of a snowy Grand Canyon
A snow-covered Grand Canyon seen from space.

In the final days of his six-month stint aboard the International Space Station (ISS), Danish astronaut Andreas Mogensen took some time out of his science work to snap some striking photos of a snow-covered Grand Canyon.

The images were captured from the station in recent days as it orbited Earth at an altitude of around 250 miles.

Read more