I don’t think I understand your question but I’ll tell you how I’m using Google Photos (GP)...
I’m paying the $20/year for 100GB extra storage from Google. This is because Google won’t store you photos in full resolution unless you have enough paid storage to hold them.
When I take a photo it is stored in the iOS “Photos” app. When I open Google Photos, it uploads any photo in iOS Photos that it hasn’t already uploaded to its servers. A smaller, local copy stays on the iOS device.
Once the photos are transferred to Google I am free to delete them from the iOS Photos app.
GP doesn’t work as well with third-party apps that access photos. An app that asks for access to your photo library will likely not see photos that you have in GP. You can copy the full-resolution copy of a photo back to Photos from GP for such cases. If that is a big deal GP may not be for you.
I’m not a big photo taker nor do I spend a lot of time moving them around or editing them.
Just one follow up questions guys, when the upload happens on Google Photos from the Photos APP in iOS the stored photo on Google Photos is not compressed right ? it is the exact same copy as the original right guys ?
Good question. For sure…if you do not have Settings>Photos>iCloud Photo Library “ON” then the pictures will be exact copies. If you do have that ON and “Optimize” is also ON…I’m not sure.
Hi Brian,
I think I am confused, my question is, if google photos app on its own for its own app (Google Photos APP) independently saves photo how does it matter if in the iOS device I have Settings>Photos>iCloud Photo Library “ON” or Off ?
What I'm saying is that if iCloud Photo Library is OFF it is certain that Google Photos will upload full-size copies of your photos (and also if you have the required space in the Google account).
I do NOT know what would happen if iCloud Photo Library is ON. So...leave it off. Your Google Photos is taking care of the cloud storage, anyway.
https://support.google.com/photos/answer/6220791Just one follow up questions guys, when the upload happens on Google Photos from the Photos APP in iOS the stored photo on Google Photos is not compressed right ? it is the exact same copy as the original right guys ?
Yes.
From what you've said I'm assuming you don't have any additional space purchased at iCloud…so…even with "optimize" checked you probably have 100% of your photos uncompressed in your Photos app. Go ahead and check "Download and Keep Originals", let the device do the download (as I've said I don't think there will be any since they're likely already all originals), and then start with Google Photos.