Google Photos: How to Transfer Pictures from Facebook, Dropbox, Instagram, Flickr, & More

Google made a huge splash this year in their annual Google I/O with an awesome announcement regarding their Photos app. Although I was primarily interested in the details surrounding Android M, my ears instantly perked up when Google announced that their Photos app will now offer free, unlimited, high-quality storage.

That's right... High-quality. Free. And unlimited.

Why the hell should you care? Because regardless if you're an Android or Apple user, Google is giving you the opportunity to save money and precious storage space on your respected devices by aggregating every single photo you have all into one extremely easy-to-use application.

Photos supports 16 MP photo quality and 1080p video quality, storing anything larger than that in compressed, print-quality resolution.

That being said, you probably have pictures scattered all over the place, like Facebook, Instagram, Dropbox, and even iCloud, that you'll probably want to import into the new Google Photos, so we're here to show you how.

How to Extract Photos from Different Sources

The process is different for each service or application. While some make it easy, others may not have a clear-cut way of downloading your content, even if it is your content. Because of this, we'll be going through some of the more popular sites that might currently be hosting your photos and videos.

Facebook Pictures & Videos

Since most of our lives are chronicled on Facebook, let's start here. To get started, you'll need to grab all of your pictures. Don't worry, we're not going one-by-one and saving them all.

On the Facebook website, enter the General settings and "Download a copy of your Facebook data.

Facebook will then email you a .zip file with all of the photo or video content you've posted or shared on Facebook, which does not include pictures you were tagged in by others.

Instagram Pictures

Unfortunately, Instagram doesn't offer a similar service like Facebook does. But don't worry, because it's still simple using the free web serviceDowngram.

Just sign in using your Instagram information, then either select all of your images or choose individual photos to download. Also, be aware that the "Select all" option will not select every photo you've ever posted. For that, you'll have to go to the bottom of the page and click "Load more images" to expand the page. This may need to be done several times if you have a lot of pictures.

Dropbox Content

Although Dropbox doesn't let you download your images or videos as easily as Facebook does, this process will not require any third-party apps or services. All you need to do is select your all or individual images then click "Share." When the share options pop up, choose "Get Link," which will then automatically be copied to your clipboard. You can also do the same for whole folders, say, if you have them all in a neat and tidy Photos folder.

Paste the generated link in your browser then click "Download" on the preview page to begin downloading your zip file.

Note: If you use the Dropbox desktop client, you do not have to do this. Skip below to the section on importing photos into Google Photos for more info.

Flickr Photos

Although Flickr isn't as popular as it once was, you may have some old, nostalgic photos on there. Thankfully, Flickr is the easiest in terms of downloading images. Just highlight the images you want and click the "Download" option that appears below once you do.

iCloud Content

iOS user also have it pretty easy when downloading their pictures from iCloud. Once signed in to iCloud.com, simply select all the images you want then click "Download." You can check particular pictures or just highlight them all.

Unfortunately, for some odd reason, Apple doesn't provide you with a convenient zip file—they instead download each individual image.

Pictures from Your Android or iOS Device

This section doesn't need much explanation, because all you need to do is install the application on your iPhone or Android device. Along with any pictures you've already uploaded to Photos, the images pre-existing on your phone will also by synced with the application. Convenient, right?

[1] Google Photos on Android, [2] Google Photos on iOS

Importing Pictures into Google Photos

Now that you've successfully got all of your images, it's time to import them into Google Photos. For the majority of these, all you need to do is extract the images from their zips, which should still be in your Downloads folder unless you've moved them, then drag and drop them into the Photos webpage (make sure you're logged in to your Google account).

For those of you using the Dropbox desktop client or have iCloud drive on your computer, this is even easier as you can just click "Upload photos" from the Google Photos page and upload directly.

So there you have it. With all your images stored safely in one place, there's no need to worry about accidentally deleting or losing any. Maybe Google's insane for giving us this free storage space, but it's definitely well worth taking advantage.

How to Make Mini Bell Pepper Bacon Poppers (Gluten Free) (Jalapeño Free)

This is a great appetizer for a party for guests who may not be able to handle hot food. I love spicy, so jalapeno poppers are a staple in our house. My son is wanting to eat food like us, so we came up with the idea to get the best of both worlds. So we used mini bell peppers instead. They are great tasting and healthy for you. They are fairly easy to prepare and it doesn't take too much time. It can be prepared prior and refrigerated until its time to cook. These can also cook well on a grill. Just keep an eye on things.

Step 1: Cut the ends off of the mini bell pepper

Cut the ends off of the mini bell pepper. Be careful with knife since the exterior of the pepper can be waxy and slippery.

Step 2: Slice the mini bell pepper in half along the length

Slice the mini bell pepper in half along the length. I nip the inside of the pepper as shown in the first image. I then flip the pepper over and complete the cut. It adds an extra step, but I think the extra safety is worth it.

Step 3: Scoop out the guts

Scoop up the inside seeds. They are not very appetizing to most so be sure to discard. Its nice to have a small container to toss all of the insides into. The cutting board gets quite crowded rather quickly. Use a spoon for a quick removal.

Step 4: Slather in some Neufchâtel cheese

Apply a generous helping of neufchâtel cheese in the pepper's cavity. Don't overfill the pepper boat or you will have cheese all over your oven.

How to Get the Galaxy S6's Wake Gesture on Any Android

The Samsung Galaxy S6 includes a pretty nifty feature known as "Gesture wake up," which lets users wave their hand over their locked display to wake it, making those periodic notification checks from the lock screen a lot more simple than having to press the power or home key every time.

• Don't Miss: 9 Ways to Lock Your Android Without the Power Button

The only real bummer about this feature is the fact that non-Galaxy devices don't have it. But in true Android fashion, developers like Team Fluxion are making third-party apps that give us these native, device-specific features on any Android. So without any further delay, let's show you how to make your device's display turn on and off just by waving your hand.

Step 1: Install Wake on Gesture

First, grab the app by Team Fluxion, appropriately titled Wake On Gesture. It's free, and works with most Android phones and OS versions.

• Install Wake On Gesture from the Google Play Store

Step 2: Activate Device Administrator

As soon as you launch Wake On Gesture, you'll be prompted to "Activate device administrator" in order to allow it to control when the screen locks. After activation, you will then be able to access its Settings.

Step 3: Set Up Your Preferences

Within the Settings, you'll want to enable the app, then decide whether you want an ongoing notification for it, which will let you quickly toggle the service on and off.

There are also other features, such as "Pocket" (detects when the device is in your pocket) and "Flip Cover" (allows for third-party flip cover detection) that offer additional screen activation options, but only one can be applied to the device at a time.

Select "Multi Wave" to mimic the S6's Gesture Wake Up, then adjust the preferences to your liking. You can specify the number of waves needed and the delay between them. In my opinion, using one wave works the best, but to each their own.

Once you've enabled the service and specified your preferences, try it out. The app will allow you to turn the screen on and off with a simple wave. You may have noticed that root feature labeled "Do just what my power button does," but after enabling and disabling it, I've noticed no difference in the app's behavior or the ability to turn the screen on and off.

How to Uninstall the Application

Because this app was activated as a Device administrator, you won't initially be able to uninstall it like any other app. To deactivate it, enter your system Settings and search for the Security preferences where you'll find "Device administrators." Toggle off Wake On Gesture and you'll be able to uninstall it like you normally would.