Google Photos - Very Clever Search Facility (1 Viewer)

DBK

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I've used Google Photos ever since my first Android phone. For those unfamiliar with it Google Photos stores a copy of your photos so if you ever lost your original copies you could log into Google Photos and download the missing photos.

From memory you can get unlimited storage for free but the system will only store a reduced size of the images. I'm now paying a monthly subscription and it stores the full sized versions but the reduced size system is good and of course doesn't use a lot of data.

What I didn't know is Google Photos has a clever search facility. I had seen the Search bar but always assumed it was just for searching for a specific name, but it does a lot more than that.

In looking for an image to go with a post I made this morning about MH fridges I needed to find a photo I took of the back of our fridge a couple of months ago. Having taken some two thousand images since April I didn't look forward to scanning through them all to find the one I wanted. So I entered "refrigerator" in the Google Photos search field. It only found one matching image which was this one:

coolbox.JPG


This is an image I took with the camera on my phone but it wasn't the one I wanted. The image I was looking for showed the back of the fridge so I searched for "pipes" and found it!

pipes.JPG


If I search for "food" it shows all the pictures I've taken in restaurants. You can also add search terms "mountains, cars" shows all the photos with a mountain and a car in it. The system isn't foolproof but it is very clever.

I should stress I haven't stored these images with these tags. Google is analysing the images and tagging them itself. It also has a system for people but you have to tell it who folk are first but thereafter I believe it would find all the photos of a specific individual once it has learned who is who.
 
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DBK

DBK

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This could be fun. :) I've just searched for "trouser". It took a few moments so it must be searching the images in real time I guess, but it came back with all my shots which have trouser-wearing legs in them. :)
 
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Google is not charity! So, why do they offer free storage, sort out your photos and have such a fantastic search facility? What is in it for them?

Really tempted to start using Google for my photos after reading this and having spent almost 2 hours this morning trying to find one I needed!!! But...…… still rather unsure.

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Gellyneck

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More than toes wet now!
This could be fun. :) I've just searched for "trouser". It took a few moments so it must be searching the images in real time I guess, but it came back with all my shots which have trouser-wearing legs in them. :)
Eeeeeeeeeeeeeek. :eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:
Thank heavens you ain't American and searched on pants instead of trousers!:whistle:
 
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Chockswahay

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Google is not charity! So, why do they offer free storage, sort out your photos and have such a fantastic search facility? What is in it for them?

One word.......... Advertising!
 
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DBK

DBK

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Jan 9, 2013
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Google is not charity! So, why do they offer free storage, sort out your photos and have such a fantastic search facility? What is in it for them?

Really tempted to start using Google for my photos after reading this and having spent almost 2 hours this morning trying to find one I needed!!! But...…… still rather unsure.
The privacy thing is something which might trouble folk. For me my photos are just holiday snaps - and many of them I've shared on this Forum so it doesn't worry me some faceless computer is analysing them.

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scotjimland

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Apple photos also has a smart search.. I use iCloud for storage and Google storage as a back up

I like iCloud as you can create specific albums and share with others who have an Apple account

I have a 200GB: £2.49 with is 50% full

united_kingdom.png

United Kingdom4 (GBP)
50GB: £0.79
200GB: £2.49
2TB: £6.99
 
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