Google Photos nails the effortless part of cloud backups, but it still misses a deceptively simple control users are begging for: a per-item “Don’t back up this” option. With today’s phones shooting massive 4K and even 8K clips by default, one or two casual videos can swallow cloud storage in a flash. A smarter, selective backup switch would solve a problem that’s only getting bigger.
Right now, Photos quietly backs up nearly everything in the DCIM camera folder unless you jump through hoops. That approach was fine when “High quality” uploads didn’t count against your quota. Since unlimited storage ended, every megabyte matters. For millions on the free 15GB tier or the popular 200GB Google One plan, indiscriminate uploads turn a convenience into a quota panic.
Why a per-item skip matters for Google Photos users
Modern cameras are storage monsters. Apple documents that a minute of 4K at 60fps using HEVC runs roughly 400MB; manufacturer bitrates for 8K can push a single minute toward 600MB or more. A long weekend of family clips can quietly burn through double-digit gigabytes before you notice the “storage almost full” banner.
The scale of content creation keeps rocketing, too. Industry analysts at Rise Above Research have projected more than a trillion images captured annually worldwide, and video growth is even steeper thanks to higher frame rates and HDR formats. When volume and file sizes surge simultaneously, backups need more nuance than a binary on/off switch.
What Google Photos offers today for selective backups
Photos lets you pick which device folders to back up—useful for excluding Screenshots or WhatsApp Media—and you can choose upload quality via Storage Saver or Original. There’s also the Locked Folder for sensitive items, which can be kept off the cloud if you opt out of its backup. But none of these are true per-item controls for the core camera roll.
The common workaround is shuffling big files out of DCIM using a file manager so Photos won’t see them. It’s clunky. Another hack is stashing non-sensitive clips in Locked Folder to avoid upload, which is risky because it hides content from your main timeline and is easy to forget. Neither method is intuitive, quick, or safe enough for everyday use.
The feature that would fix it for smarter backups
Photos needs a one-tap “Don’t back up this” button on each photo and video, visible alongside the existing info and edit controls. Tapping it would keep that specific item local-only while leaving everything else on autopilot. A subtle badge—think a crossed cloud icon—would make the status obvious at a glance.
Layer in a smart prompt based on file size. If a video exceeds a user-set threshold—say 250MB, 500MB, or 1GB—Photos should ask whether to back it up now, skip once, or always skip similar large files. Power users could refine this further: exclude slow-motion clips, HDR10+ videos, or footage above 60fps unless on Wi-Fi and charging.
From an engineering standpoint, this is hardly moonshot territory. A local ignore list tied to media IDs and content hashes could persist across scans. If users want cross-device consistency, the ignore list can sync as lightweight metadata without uploading the underlying media. Clear safeguards—like warnings before deleting any local-only item—would prevent accidental loss.
How rivals handle it across leading photo services
Competitors hint at the solution but do not complete it. Dropbox, OneDrive, and Amazon Photos all let you toggle camera uploads and often exclude videos entirely or select folders, yet none provide an elegant per-item “skip” button within the main gallery experience. iCloud Photos also treats the library as an all-or-nothing mirror. There’s clear white space here for Google to lead.
Importantly, this isn’t about micromanaging every shot. Most users want set-and-forget. The key is to gracefully handle the edge cases—the 12-minute 4K video of your dog chasing waves, the accidental 8K test clip—without punishing the rest of your library.
Why this should be a priority for Google Photos
Ending unlimited backups shifted responsibility onto users to ration storage. A skip option directly reduces churn and support headaches by helping people stay under quota longer. It also builds trust: when the app asks before uploading a 1.3GB clip, it feels like a partner, not a meter.
There’s business upside, too. Smarter controls don’t deter upgrades; they make paid plans feel like thoughtful tiers rather than panic buttons. The $2.99-per-month 200GB plan remains compelling, but giving customers the tools to stretch that space increases satisfaction—and keeps them in the Google One ecosystem.
Google Photos already delivers best-in-class search, sharing, and AI editing. Adding precise, humane backup controls would round out that package. A simple “Don’t back up this” button, a file-size prompt, and clear visual cues would transform everyday backups from blunt to brilliant—exactly the kind of quality-of-life upgrade that loyal users have earned.
