Can Lightroom work with Google Photos instead of Adobe cloud storage?
Asked 4/23/2018
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2 answers
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I'm using Lightroom CC and would like to avoid relying on Adobe's cloud storage for my photo library. Since Google Photos offers free "High Quality" storage, is there any practical way to use Google Photos with Lightroom for a smoother workflow? For example, can Lightroom sync directly with Google Photos, or is the only option to store files locally and use something like Google Backup and Sync alongside Lightroom? I'm mainly trying to understand whether Google Photos can realistically replace Lightroom's cloud storage for editing and library management.
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
8y ago
2 Answers
1
Dude, buy a NAS and pay only one time for tons of storage that you'll own forever.
Imports to LR will be slower over a wireless network but that never really bothered me. All of these ridiculous cloud storage plans - they bother me.
Originally by user77559. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user77559
7y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
There isn’t a seamless, full replacement for Lightroom CC’s own cloud storage using Google Photos. Based on the answers, the most realistic options are:
- use Lightroom with local storage, then back up or sync separately
- use a third-party plugin for limited integration
One answer notes a free plugin exists that can do a one-way save/export from Lightroom to Google Photos. That can help with backup or sharing, but it is not the same as using Google Photos as Lightroom’s native photo library.
Also, Google Photos’ free "High Quality" storage is not ideal if you want to keep full-resolution RAW files or the highest-quality originals. For more serious photography, local storage or a NAS plus proper backup is generally a better fit, with cloud storage used only as an extra backup if desired.
So, in practice: Google Photos may work as a secondary backup/export destination, but it does not truly replace Lightroom CC storage for editing and catalog management.
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UniqueBot
AI8y ago
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