Of Google+, Picasaweb, Smartphone and Missing Blogger Photos

So you are a Blogger user and new to Google+. First thing first, here’s what not to do:

DO NOT DELETE ANY ALBUMS OR PHOTOS FROM GOOGLE+ OR YOUR ANDROID PHONE!

Update: [Dec 2012] This tutorial also applies to Android smartphones (to some extent). The phone gallery is synced to Picasaweb by default. Deleting the Picasa photos from your smartphone will remove them from Picasaweb, permanently!

Well at least not until you’ve finished reading this article. That is because if you’re not careful, you might lose all your Blogger blog photos, permanently! And all you will see on your blog are black boxes with a no entry sign (white circle and a dash) in it, like this:

black box circle white dash no entry sign

What has Blogger anything to do with Google+ then? Well when it comes to images, both Blogger and Google+ host their images on Picasaweb (picasaweb.google.com/). On Blogger, this hosting thing works behind the scene, as such the majority of Blogger users don’t even know their photos are uploaded to and stored on Picasaweb. Google+ on the other hand, has included total access to Picasaweb account -meaning you can view and remove existing images, and upload new ones right from Google+ interface.

Google plus photosThat’s where the trouble starts. Many Blogger users, upon finding out that all their photos are visible on Google+ assume that they are also visible (and shareable) by their Google+ friends. Some are quick to respond to this seeming lack of privacy by deleting their personal albums and photos. Unbeknownst to them, they may in fact delete the exact photos posted on their blogs. They won’t realize this, not until they view their blog and discover that all the photos are gone!

This can be easily avoided of course, if you were provided with the relevant information beforehand. Here it is:

1. Only the photos you share will be visible to your friends

Your Google+ friends will only see pictures you shared with them. So don’t worry about your photos becoming public or anything to that effect. When you go to Your Albums via Photos tab > Your albums, there is a description that clearly states that:  “Albums you haven't shared remain only visible to you”.

google plus unshared photos not visible to others

 

2. Deleting a picture on Google+ will also delete the original copy from Picasa web album

There’s even a warning when you are about to delete an album. Do read and understand the warning before taking the next step.

google plus picasa photos deletion warning

Once you click “Delete”, the album will be permanently deleted. There’s no undo button. It cannot be reverted. The pictures are gone for good! So be careful.

If you haven’t join Google+ and wish to do so, contact me with your Google account email and I’ll be glad to invite you. Don’t forget to add me (http://gplus.to/GreenLava) to your circle.

Stay safe, and enjoy!

26 comments to "Of Google+, Picasaweb, Smartphone and Missing Blogger Photos"

Luminita Dinu [Lumis] August 2, 2011 at 8:29 PM    

Useful information, thank you.

Srivathsan August 3, 2011 at 12:13 AM    

OMG ! Google must change this soon...

Penulis Blog August 4, 2011 at 2:02 PM    

thank u.
I will be careful use image at google plusthank u.
I will be careful use image at google plus

TL,  August 5, 2011 at 9:47 AM    

is it also true that if you get kicked from G+ your G account and all its connected services are also removed and permanently deleted?

bumper sticker printing August 10, 2011 at 2:47 AM    

great stuff thanks for sharing.........

Remedies August 11, 2011 at 6:31 PM    

Amazing,interesting and attractive feather.Thanks a lots.

Anonymous,  August 14, 2011 at 6:12 PM    

Extremely important. Amazed that Google have not made this clearer. Thanks for this.

pyejal August 14, 2011 at 11:33 PM    

blog anda telah di rebiu di pyejal.blogspot.com. :)

Greenlava August 15, 2011 at 3:35 PM    

@pyejal
Thanks, I appreciate it.

iPhone app development August 17, 2011 at 10:54 PM    

Google does everything possible to make our life much more inteersting and easier.

Custom Essay Writing Service August 24, 2011 at 1:04 PM    

I admire the valuable information you offered in your article Keep inspiring your readers thanks.

Azib September 3, 2011 at 9:51 PM    

I deleted my picasa album from Google+ but I didn't know what I did. When I checked my blog there are no images to display at all. Then I Upload my whole album again. Thank you for posting this useful post.

HGH October 7, 2011 at 10:22 PM    

Great tips, I just 1 step to delete the blogger album, thanks to you!

Annie MacHale November 20, 2011 at 10:31 AM    

This article makes it so clear. I wish I had read this before making that fatal mistake; a friend linked me here after the fact. Somehow the warning wasn't clear in my mind at the time and I deleted photos from the last 2 1/2 years of my blog. I hope others will read this and save themselves some agony!

Presentation Folders December 3, 2011 at 3:59 AM    

nice all man

Adrienne February 21, 2012 at 5:04 AM    

OH my gosh!! I wish I had known this. I did exactly what you said. Deleted my pics from google+ thinking of the privacy, and now tons of pictures from my blog are gone. Sigh...

Adrienne February 22, 2012 at 10:19 AM    

Thanks for this info! I have spread the link around a bit, and I posted today in an open letter to Google. Just my way of ranting about my frustrations. I left a link to your article here, because I found it very helpful. Thank you!

SFGEMS July 3, 2012 at 11:16 PM    

Sigh...... How to undo this? I will probably shut down my blog.

:(

Android developers August 30, 2012 at 9:14 PM    

:0! I didn't know that! The total sync of Google services can be really irritating!

Sarah September 2, 2012 at 11:08 PM    

ahhhh i just did this :(

Anonymous,  November 18, 2012 at 7:41 PM    

yeah great but what if I lost them all can I find again?

Gracia January 16, 2013 at 11:32 PM    

hikksssss....I just lost my photos...........huaaaaaaaaaaaaaa.... 3 years of work..................

Why don't Google state it clearly?
Can I retrieve it? Pleaseeee.

hgknews January 26, 2013 at 3:17 AM    

Beautifdul so why didn't Goog;e advise their bloggers. When they changed the insert image procedure they did not advise, how to do it was not available. so I put on Picasa which is a good app but I don't need. When I saw all the pics on my phone I was asstonished and deleted them so I could get to my phone pics . Wonderful job on the illness now how bout a just as good cure if you have the pics saved elseware.

Tracey Mardon March 19, 2013 at 12:16 AM    

Found your post when looking for an answer as to why some photos on my blog have been replaced with an exclamation mark and why Linkwithin is only showing text. So glad to have found your post before I caused myself this problem with my soon to be new phone!

MK Moon August 7, 2013 at 9:49 AM    

Thank you very much! ...you have saved my blog :)

the Dutch December 8, 2013 at 5:55 PM    

I actually did the reverse of this. I had a blogger a couple years back, 08-09, n deleted it because my girlfriend was givin me crap over it. I had TONS of stuff on it n after that girlfriend n i broke up i wish i had it back. I reopened it after we broke up in 11 w the same info. Laid dorment till this year. I got a samsung galaxy s2 n was gettig a sync request thru my google music app. One day i said screw it cause it was poppin up all the time n i was sick of seein it n synced it. To my surprise all my old images were in my gallery. What i was wondering is if the text to those old post r still around somewhere. I never archived the old blog... As far as i kno. But bein the pics r there im wondering if the text is there. Any help is GREATLY appreciated.

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