How to Share Photos Online

Authored by: Support.com Tech Pro Team

1. Introduction

We have file-size problems. The technology in our digital cameras and smartphones is advancing constantly. This allows us to capture large, fabulous photos with tons of detail that cameras of the past cannot hold a candle to. Unfortunately, these advances come with a single drawback: ridiculously large files.

This creates a whole new problem. Email providers have always had a file size limit in place for the things we attach to our messages. With modern devices capturing photos with such high detail and large file sizes, using email to share photos is becoming less and less viable.

So, what do you do when you want to send that pile of digital photos of your vacation adventure to your friends and family, but the files are too big to attach to a single email? This guide will go over some available apps and services that make sharing photos far easier and far more practical than relying on email.

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2. Apps that Share Photos

There are a number of apps and services that can be used to share photos with friends and family. Some are more private than others. You should choose the service or site that meets your needs.

Things to Consider When Choosing A Photo Sharing Service

  • Ease of privacy if you don't want random people looking at your photos.
  • Image size requirements and the amount of data each service allows.
  • How you send the photos to others.
  • Whether the service is free or not.

Popular Photo Sharing Services Include

Amazon prime photos icon

Amazon Prime Photos
With a subscription to Amazon Prime you have access to Prime Photos. With it you have anunlimited full-resolution photo backup, the ability to add up to five family members toyour“Family Vault” to collect and share photos, and you can also share individual photos or albums by email or a shareable link, no Amazon account needed.

Google photos icon

Google Photos
Unlimited storage for photos under 16 megapixels with a Google account. Photos can be shared using cell phone or email and you can allow friends and family to join and add photos to your album.

iCloud icon

iCloud
With iCloud Photo Sharing, you can share photos and videos with just the people you choose, and you can let them add their own photos, videos, and comments. This comes with iOS and macOS but needs to be downloaded on Windows. There's an option to create a public website for your photos as well.

Dropbox icon

DropBox
Dropbox is a free cloud storage provider that you can use to store all sorts of different file formats, in addition to photos. You can get a shareable link to a single photo file or even an entire folder containing multiple photos to share with other people. If you need more space you can always subscribe to one of the options.

Twitter icon

Twitter
The micro-blogging site, Twitter allows you to share photos as well as text. It's free unless you want to promote your Tweet to others. Your photos shared here will be public unless you direct message a user or hide your Tweets.

Facebook icon

Facebook
The defacto king of social media, Facebook is one of the easiest ways to share photos with friends and family. You can upload many photos at one time, create albums, and decide who sees them.

Instagram icon

Instagram
Owned by Facebook, Instagram is not only a website but an app that lets you share photos with the world. It has filter options and tags to let you get other eyes on your work besides friends and family.