All users must empty Google Photos prior to Jan. 16, 2024
From: Division of Information Technology
Virginia Tech is facing many changes to cloud storage services in the next year.
One important change is that the Google Photos app will be removed from Virginia Tech Google accounts on Jan. 16, 2024.
Because Virginia Tech does not have administrative control over the content placed in the Photos app for university Google accounts, once the Photos app is removed, the university will not be able to retrieve any files left in your account. Moreover, any data left in Photos after the app is removed will count against your Google storage allocation.
What you need to do
Before Jan. 16, 2024, all users need to do the following:
- Disable any automatic photo uploads or syncing from your phone or other devices to your VT Google Photos app. If you don’t have that feature enabled, you can skip this step.
- Export and move any files that you wish to keep from the Photos app on your Virginia Tech Google account to an alternative storage location.
- Once you have exported the needed files, delete all contents from the Photos app until you have zero data remaining within the app.
Taking the above steps will ensure that you do not lose important files.
To help users export their files from Google Photos, the Division of Information Technology has created the following resources:
- Google Photos export and relocation guide for guidance on finding alternative storage locations and transferring personal photos out of your Virginia Tech Google account.
- How to move files out of your Google account, including how to use Google Takeout to download data. You can also watch the video below with instructions for Google Takeout.
- Transferring Photos from VT Google Photos storage to a personal account, including how to transfer photos via “partner sharing.”
For more information about upcoming changes to storage, email, and calendar services, visit the license changes website. If you have questions or need help with Google Workspace or another Virginia Tech IT service, contact 4Help.