Today I uploaded this picture via Google Photos to Google Maps. It was new for me to do the cropping and brightness/contrast adjustments in Google Photos, but that worked out fine. After posting the picture and looking at it on google maps I noticed that the cropping was not as perfect as I would like it to be. So I returned to Google Photos and fixed it.
At first I was pretty sure that my new cropping would never show up in Google Maps. But now I’m sure it was just an cache issue. When looking at the picture using an other browser (without the old cropping in the cache) I see the new cropping! This is actually amazing. This means you won’t lose your views if you just need to make a small adjustment to one of your photos.
I just wanted to share this with you. Would love to hear if other can confirm this.
Thanks for your comment. Google Maps uses our pics in a large variety of formats. From square to very wide. I prefer to crop my pictures myself so they look good in most of the cropping formats that Google Maps uses.
But you are correct that if someone opens you picture it will not be cropped. But how often do you think somebody opens one of your pictures compared to just seeing it listed in a smaller format?
Basically, I don’t see a big issue if you want the photo to be cropped correctly while previewing. You just need to create a frame template in your photo editor and check if the main object goes beyond these frames. You can also check it in Google Photo. To do this, select Edit ->> Crop ->> choose the 16:9 aspect ratio and check whether the main object is placed inside the resulting frame. You do not need to apply this change.
What I understand, when we modify a pic in Google Photo, the changes reflect on the one posted in Maps also. That means, there is a one-to-one correlation between Google Photos and Maps.
However, I couldn’t simulate that.
I cropped a photo, still, that didn’t affect the one in Maps.
I believe what you wrote is correct. Or more simply put Google Maps does not make a copy but points to your pic in Google Photos.
Make sure you actually select the pic on Google Photos. When I use desktop I select the second tab called Photosfromphone. Just from looking at them I recognize the edits I just did in the Google Photos app.
Then you need a second device to check to avoid the cache playing you a trick.
I can make more detailed or illustrated steps if need be.
Photos you post on Maps are stored in hidden albums. It’s very hard to find access to them. The original photo that you have on Google Photos is the original. A copy is published on the Maps. Changing or deleting the original does not affect the photo on the Maps.
I still do not recommend cropping photos in 16:9 format before publishing. It is better to leave the original aspect ratio of 3:2 or 4:3. It’s better to just virtually check how the photo looks like when cropped to 16:9
Sorry but my observation today just proved you wrong. Yesterday I would have said that your assumptions about a copy being made was correct. Test it out.
Regarding the benefits related to cropping to the wide format I will share my arguments at a later time. It to much to fit in this thread.
In Google Photos some edits are stored in a way that you can undo them next time you edit the pic. Other edits force you to save a copy. Only changes that does not require you to save a new file/version will migrate to Google Maps.
Examples: If you crop, and adjust brightness and contrast, then those edits will soon after be visible in Google Maps. But if you use the pen or marker tool to paint over eyes or a license plate, then that will require a new file to be saved.
Inspired by the doubt expressed by @SergeySud and @C_T I just did one more test.
First I edited an image from Google Photos that I did not previously edit in Google Photos. I did the editing in my native Gallery app locally on my phone before uploading it to Google Photos. The new (and only) edit does not seem to migrate to Google Maps. Not even after clearing the cache on Maps.
On the left-hand side, you could previously see a window in the neighbor building. I cropped it. And this change was immediately visible under Your contributions / Photos. And after the clear cache in Maps, this further cropped image was visible at the place. And the view count was not affected.
So maybe we can conclude this only works on images that had a few edits attached already when originally posted.
@SergeySud , I hope you would be willing to do another test. Knowing what I described here.
Cheers
PS: Here is how it looked before I did the extra edit:
@MortenCopenhagen Unfortunately, Google has been unable to establish link support on mobile devices for years. Just follow the link and you will see two photos at this object. The new photo is the main one at the object.
I see the picture of a church tower relatively in the shade. And I can follow both your links while on Desktop.
But your test does not prove that my observation (and now repeated successfully) is not correct. I agree that your test shows that a copy was made by Google Maps if this is not a sync issue.
Please make the following test:
Upload a picture to Google Photos.
Make a simple edit in the Google Photos app or website. Just something that does not require you to save the changes at a new copy.
Add this picture (not your local copy) to a place.
check that it gets visible at the place on Google Maps.
Return to Google Photos. Make an additional edit. And Save it (not as a copy)
Maybe there are geographic differences or sync of servers could be the problem. Hope you don’t mind checking your pic again tomorrow to see if the second change has been implemented.
