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Google Photos Partner Sharing Curbs Photo Sharing From Other Apps

Screenshots and saved images from Android apps stopped sharing automatically in Google Photos Partner Sharing. Here is how to enable the opt-in setting and check backup status.
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Google Photos no longer includes photos from other Android apps in Partner Sharing by default. Screenshots and images saved from apps such as social networks will stay out of your partner’s shared feed unless you enable Include content from other Android apps. The control is available in Google Photos’ Partner Sharing settings and applies only to content backed up to Google Photos.

What changed in Google Photos Partner Sharing

Google announced the Android change on March 5, 2025, following an earlier update that stopped automatically sharing photos from third-party apps. Google said the default was intended to reduce clutter and keep a partner’s feed more focused.

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The new choice is privacy-focused and off by default. You can opt in if you want your partner to receive backed-up screenshots, downloads, or saved images originating in other Android apps.

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What the setting does

Setting What Partner Sharing includes
Include content from other Android apps off Photos and videos backed up from other Android apps are excluded from automatic Partner Sharing.
Include content from other Android apps on Backed-up photos and videos from other Android apps, including screenshots and saved social-media images, can be shared automatically under your existing Partner Sharing rules.

Google says changing the option also changes whether previously backed-up content is shared. That does not necessarily remove copies your partner has already saved to their own Google Photos library.

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How to include screenshots and other app photos on Android

  1. Open the Google Photos app.
  2. Tap your profile picture or initial.
  3. Open Photos settings.
  4. Tap Sharing, then Partner sharing.
  5. Review the partner’s access settings and turn on Include content from other Android apps.

If the option is missing, Google’s announcement described the control as rolling out rather than giving a universal completion date. Check the Partner Sharing page again after updating Google Photos and Android.

How to change it on a computer

  1. Open Google Photos in a web browser.
  2. Open Settings.
  3. Expand Sharing and select Partner Sharing.
  4. Under your partner’s access, choose Change settings.
  5. Enable the option for content from other Android apps if it is shown.

The computer controls manage the Partner Sharing arrangement, but the option is specifically described for photos and videos originating from Android apps. Do not assume it changes equivalent behavior for iPhone apps.

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If a photo still does not appear

Confirm that Google Photos backed it up

Partner Sharing sends only items that have been backed up to Google Photos. Open the image in Google Photos and check its backup status. An image that exists only in an app’s local storage cannot be delivered through Partner Sharing.

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Check the Android-app inclusion switch

With the switch off, a backed-up screenshot or saved image from another Android app remains excluded. Turn it on in Photos settings → Sharing → Partner sharing and allow time for the library and shared feed to update.

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Review the rest of Partner Sharing’s rules

Partner Sharing can be configured for all photos or for selected people and date ranges. An item from another app may therefore satisfy the new inclusion setting but still fall outside the people or date filters you chose.

Privacy and practical trade-offs

Leaving it off

  • Keeps screenshots, downloads, and other app-originated media out of the partner’s automatic feed.
  • Matches Google’s privacy-oriented default and produces a less cluttered shared library.

Turning it on

  • Creates a more complete shared feed that can include backed-up screenshots and saved images.
  • May share items you did not think of as personal-camera photos, so review your backup sources before enabling it.

What the change does not do

  • It does not share every image on your phone automatically; the item must be backed up to Google Photos.
  • It does not guarantee that a partner’s previously saved copy will disappear when you change the setting or remove an item from Partner Sharing.
  • It is documented as an Android-app setting, not a universal control for app content on every platform.

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