Google Photos Gets New Secret QR Code for Sharing Photos: Here’s How to Use It

• Google Photos is getting a new QR code method for sharing photos.
• You can share photos using QR codes instead of relying on links.
• The feature is expected to roll out soon, and here’s how it will work.

Google Photos is one of the best apps for storing and sharing albums. With 15GB of free storage, it has triple the amount of storage you get on iCloud. But even this often feels inadequate, so you can use this trick to get unlimited storage on Google Photos. To make sharing memories easier, Google is working on a new QR code feature that lets you share albums and photos without relying on Quick Share in Google Photos. Here’s how the feature will work.

You Can Now Share Photos With QR Codes In Google Photos

According to a report by Android Authority, Google Photos is getting a new feature to share albums and photos using QR codes. The new process seems more seamless and better than relying on links.

Unlike Google’s Quick Share feature, which works similarly to AirDrop and saves the file on the phone’s recipient. This new feature allows you to view files without actually downloading them. You just scan the QR code.

We tried looking for the feature in the latest version of Google Photos (version 7.26), but it simply didn’t work. Currently, the feature is still in development and is expected to roll out soon.

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It only works for albums and moments in the app, so you will need to rely on Quick Share for sending individual photos. Furthermore, there is no clarity on whether the receiver will have permanent access to these images or if they will be available temporarily.

How to Share Photos in Google Photos With QR Code

Here is how the QR code sharing feature works on Google Photos:

1. Open the Google Photos app and navigate to the Collections tab.
2. Now choose the Album or Moments that you wish to share.
3. Press the + icon below it.
4. Tap on the Show QR code option, and it will generate a QR code.
5. Now open Google Lens or use the Lens option within your camera to scan the QR code.
6. Tap on the link shown on the QR code, and it will redirect you to Google Photos.
7. Voila, you can see the photos shared by the sender.

It’s a pretty seamless method that just works like the link-sharing option. But you don’t need to fiddle around with sharing links, especially if you are sharing it with someone sitting nearby.

Some of the other ways to share photos in Google Photos include partner sharing, which requires the email address of the recipient. It will send an invitation that the receiver needs to accept via email.

You can also send someone photos directly within Google Photos. This requires initiating a conversation by creating a new group or a single recipient.

Be careful who you share this QR code with, as Google Photos doesn’t show the profile picture of the icon of the person viewing the album. It will only notify you when the other person adds a photo, comment, or makes some changes to the album.

There is no clarity on when Google will release QR code sharing, although we expect it to arrive pretty soon. It is likely to be a server-side rollout, so you won’t have to wait much longer.