Google Photos backs up both photos and videos from your computer

Yes, Google Photos will pull videos as well as photos when you set it up on your computer. When you use Google Photos' backup tool on Windows or Mac, it scans your folders for image files and video files together. You don't need to do anything special to include videos — they're part of the same backup process.

The backup happens through Google Photos for Desktop (on Windows) or through the web uploader (on Mac). Both tools treat videos the same way they treat photos: they find them in your chosen folders, upload them to your Google Photos library, and organize them by date. Videos take longer to upload because they're larger files, but the process is automatic once you turn on backup.

Key Takeaways

  • Google Photos backs up video files automatically alongside photos when you use the desktop backup tool or web uploader.
  • Video uploads take longer than photo uploads because video files are much larger, so plan for extra time on your first backup.
  • You can choose which folders to back up, and videos in those folders will be included without any extra steps.
  • Videos backed up to Google Photos count toward your storage limit, just like photos do, so check your available space before starting a large backup.

Which video formats Google Photos accepts

Google Photos accepts most common video formats: MP4, MOV, WebM, AVI, MKV, FLV, 3GP, and WMV. If your videos are in one of these formats, they'll back up without any conversion. The tool doesn't require you to change the file type before uploading.

If you have videos in less common formats, Google Photos may not recognize them. You can check whether a video will back up by looking at its file extension — the three or four letters after the period in the filename. If you're unsure whether your format is supported, you can try uploading one video first to see if it works before backing up your entire collection.

How to set up video backup on Windows

On Windows, read Google Photos for Desktop from Google's website. Install it, then sign in with your Google account. The setup wizard will ask you which folders to back up — select the folders where your videos are stored. You can choose your Pictures folder, Downloads folder, or any other folder on your computer.

Once you've selected your folders, turn on "Backup" and the tool will start scanning for both photos and videos. Your first backup may take hours or even days if you have many large video files. You can close the process and it will continue backing up in the background. Check the process window occasionally to see the progress, or wait for a notification when the backup is complete.

How to set up video backup on Mac

Mac users don't have a dedicated Google Photos desktop process, so you'll use the web uploader instead. Go to Google Photos in your web browser, click the "Upload" button, and select the folders containing your videos. You can select multiple folders at once by holding Command and clicking each one.

The web uploader will begin uploading your videos when ready. Like the Windows tool, this process runs in the background and may take a long time for large video files. Keep your browser tab open while the upload is happening — closing the tab may pause or stop the upload. You'll see a progress indicator showing how many files have been uploaded.

Storage limits and video file sizes

Every video you back up to Google Photos counts toward your storage limit. Google provides 15 GB of free storage across Gmail, Google Drive, and Google Photos combined. A single video file can range from a few hundred megabytes to several gigabytes depending on its length and quality, so a few videos can quickly use up your free space.

If you run out of storage, your backup will pause. You can then delete videos from your computer (they'll stay in Google Photos), buy more storage through a Google One subscription, or delete old files from Gmail or Google Drive to free up space. Check your storage usage in Google Photos settings before you start backing up a large video collection so you know whether you'll need to purchase additional space.

Why your videos might not be backing up

If you've turned on backup but your videos aren't uploading, check a few things first. Make sure the videos are in one of the supported formats listed above. Open the Google Photos for Desktop process (on Windows) or check your browser tab (on Mac) to see whether the upload is still in progress — large videos can take hours. If the process shows an error message, take a screenshot of it and check Google's support pages for that specific error code.

Another common issue is that the folders you selected don't actually contain the videos. On Windows, the backup tool only scans the folders you explicitly chose during setup — it doesn't automatically find videos scattered across your entire computer. If your videos are in a folder you didn't select, you'll need to add that folder to your backup settings. On Mac, make sure your browser hasn't blocked the upload or that you haven't accidentally closed the tab.

Organizing videos after backup

Once your videos are in Google Photos, they'll appear in your library organized by the date they were taken (or the date they were modified, if the original date isn't available). You can search for videos by date, location, or content — Google Photos can recognize objects and people in videos just as it does in photos. You can also create albums and add videos to them manually if you want to group videos by topic or event.

Videos stay in your Google Photos library even if you delete them from your computer, so backing up is a safe way to free up space on your device. You can delete the original video files from your computer once you've confirmed they're in Google Photos, and you'll still be able to watch them through the Google Photos app or website.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do videos take up more storage space in Google Photos than photos do?

Yes. Videos use significantly more storage than photos because they contain many more frames of data. A typical video file might be 500 MB to 2 GB, while a typical photo is 3 to 5 MB. If you're running low on storage, backing up a large video collection will fill your space much faster than backing up photos alone.

Can I back up videos from an external hard drive?

Yes, on Windows you can select folders on an external drive during setup in Google Photos for Desktop. On Mac, you can upload from an external drive using the web uploader. Make sure the external drive is connected to your computer before you start the backup, and keep it connected until the upload finishes.

What happens if my internet connection drops during video backup?

On Windows, Google Photos for Desktop will pause the upload and resume it automatically when your connection returns. On Mac, the web uploader may stop if your connection drops — you may need to refresh the page and restart the upload. For large video files, a wired internet connection is more reliable than WiFi.

Can I choose to back up only videos and skip photos?

The backup tool doesn't have a filter to exclude photos and back up only videos. If you want to back up only videos, you can create a separate folder on your computer, move your videos into it, and select only that folder during setup. Leave your photo folders unselected.

Will Google Photos compress my videos?

Google Photos stores videos in their original quality by default. However, if you choose the "Storage Saver" option during backup instead of "Original Quality," Google will compress videos to save space. Most people won't notice a difference in quality with Storage Saver, and it uses about half the storage space.