Posted by Jan-Felix Schmakeit, Google Photos Developer Lead



People create and consume photos and videos in many different ways, and we think it should be easier to do more with the photos you've taken, across all the apps and devices you use.

That's why we're introducing a new Google Photos partner program that gives you the tools and APIs to build photo and video experiences in your products that are smarter, faster and more helpful.

Building with the Google Photos Library API

With the Google Photos Library API, your users can seamlessly access their photos whenever they need them.

Whether you're a mobile, web, or backend developer, you can use this REST API to utilize the best of Google Photos and help people connect, upload, and share from inside your app.

Your user is always in the driver's seat. Here are a few things you can help them to do:

Easily find photos, based on what's in the photo when it was taken attributes like description and media format

Upload directly to their photo library

Organize albums and add titles and locations

Use shared albums to easily transfer and collaborate

With the Library API, you don't have to worry about maintaining your own storage and infrastructure, as photos and videos remain safely backed up in Google Photos.

Putting machine intelligence to work in your app is simple too. You can use smart filters, like content categories, to narrow down or exclude certain types of photos and videos and make it easier for your users to find the ones they're looking for.

We've also aimed to take the hassle out of building a smooth user experience. Features like thumbnailing and cross-platform deep-links mean you can offload common tasks and focus on what makes your product unique.

Getting started

Today, we're launching a developer preview of the Google Photos Library API. You can start building and testing it in your own projects right now.

Get started by visiting our developer documentation where you can also express your interest in joining the Google Photos partner program. Some of our early partners, including HP, Legacy Republic, NixPlay, Xero and TimeHop are already building better experiences using the API.

If you are following Google I/O, you can also join us for our session to learn more.

We're excited for the road ahead and look forward to working with you to develop new apps that work with Google Photos.