To upload photos from computer to Google Photos, you can drag and drop them directly onto the photos.google.com page in your browser, or click the Upload button (cloud icon with an upward arrow) to select files from your computer. All Google accounts include 15 GB of free storage shared across Google Photos, Gmail, and Google Drive, so every photo and video you upload counts toward that limit.
Before you upload: storage, formats, and file limits
Your free 15 GB of storage is shared with Gmail and Google Drive. As of June 1, 2021, all new photos and videos uploaded to Google Photos, regardless of whether you choose "Storage saver" or "Original quality", count toward that limit. If you need more space, you can purchase additional storage through Google One.
Google Photos supports these image formats: JPEG, PNG, WEBP, GIF, AVIF, BMP, HEIC, ICO, TIFF, and most RAW files (such as DNG, CR2, NEF, ARW). Supported video formats include MP4, MOV, AVI, MKV, 3GP, 3G2, ASF, DIVX, M2T, M2TS, M4V, MMV, MOD, MPG, MTS, TOD, and WMV. Individual photos can be up to 200 MB, and videos up to 20 GB. Photos must be larger than 256 pixels to upload.
Method 1: drag and drop your photos
- Open photos.google.com in your browser and sign in to your Google account.
- On your computer, open the file explorer (Windows) or Finder (Mac) and locate the photos or folders you want to upload.
- Drag the files or folders directly from your computer onto the Google Photos browser window.
- Release the mouse button to start the upload. A progress indicator will show the status.
You can drag individual photos, multiple selected files, or entire folders. The upload continues even if you navigate away from the page.
Method 2: use the upload button
- Go to photos.google.com and sign in to your Google account.
- In the top-right corner, click the cloud icon with an upward arrow (the Upload button).
- From the dropdown menu, select "Computer."
- A file explorer window will open. Browse to the photos or folders you want to upload.
- Select the files or folders, then click "Open" to start the upload.
You can select multiple photos by holding Ctrl (Windows) or Command (Mac) while clicking, or select an entire folder to upload all its contents.
After the upload: organize your photos
Once your photos are uploaded, you can create albums to keep them organized. Click the "+" button in the sidebar, name your album, and add the newly uploaded photos. For a complete walkthrough on sorting, tagging, and searching your library, learn how to organize Google photos. You may also want to know how to download all photos from Google photos at once to PC for local backups, or how to mass delete photos on Google photos to free up storage space.
What happens if you run out of space or stop using Google photos
If your Google Photos account is inactive for two years, or if you exceed your storage limit for two years, Google may delete your content. Before any deletion occurs, Google provides notifications to your account email. To avoid losing your photos, either free up space, upgrade your storage through Google One, or keep your account active by uploading or viewing photos regularly.
