Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Google Photos is reversing a change that removed partner sharing for screenshots, downloads, and photos from third-party apps.
- We were able to surface an option that lets you share photos from third-party apps with your partner in the latest Google Photos update.
- The feature was removed back in November but seems to be coming back.
Partner sharing is a feature that lets Google Photos users automatically share their library of images with selected partners. Back in November, Google abruptly removed partner sharing for screenshots, downloads, and photos from third-party apps — a feature that had been available in the Google Photos app since partner sharing first came about in 2017. Now, it looks like Google is reversing course by introducing a new option that will once again allow users to share photos from third-party apps with their partners.
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With the help of our contributor, Assemble Debug, we were able to surface the new partner sharing option in the latest version of the Google Photos app (v7.12). Users should soon be able to toggle an option to “Include content from other Android apps” in the partner sharing settings on Google Photos.
The option isn’t available just yet, but when it comes around with a future Google Photos update, it will be switched off by default. That means if you want third-party images to show up on your partner’s phone automatically, you’ll have to manually turn on “Include content from other Android apps” from your Google Photos settings.
The timeline for a wider rollout remains unclear. Google’s partner sharing support page still reads, “Photos from other apps on Android aren’t shared with your partner account.” However, it’s encouraging to see that Google is working on reintroducing the feature with enhanced controls over what users choose to share with their partners.