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Google photos

If I was to delete my google photos app on my iPhone and then download and install it again, would it duplicate all my photos originally uploaded from my phone again to google photos?
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John
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I think it will. Uninstall, shut down, start up the phone. Now it does not know about pictures. Install again and it will go looking for photos. You may be able to manage it from there.

Why uninstall the app if you are going to use it?  Just update to the newest version.
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Koen Van Wielink
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u587162

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I also believe it wont but just trying to understand.

I'm having some problems having sync'd across some 6000+ photos but another 200 or so videos are not being backed up.  Im not sure if this is because of the size or something else, but I have selected the free option so Google should be able to compress them to whatever their terms allow for the free service.  

The question arises for several reasons:

1.  Im having unrelated issues with my iphone and might need to wipe my phone (not backup and restore which might bring back the problem)

2. If it doesnt sync the videos I might want to delete the app and do it again

3. General curiosity if images are duplicated or sync'd based on some ID as you mention
Sorry, I can't be sure of what happens. You may have to just try and see :p. But nowadays sync programs are usually smart enough to recognize duplicate files when they see them.
What about an old-school manual backup to either a drive or another cloud service, then deleting the files from both your phone AND Google photos? Then resolve the issues with your phone, transfer the files back to the phone and let Google Photos do its sync work again?
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Merete
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Any progress u587162.
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ASKER

Thx for the nudge.
So this is how it is.    I used my wife's iphone to test this out rather than mine:-))
 I delete all 450 photo and videos from her phone (via the Google photos app) and recovered some phone space and also deleted the google bin.  I then deleted the app itself.  

I then reinstalled the app, and it said there were a few hundred photos to backup which got me worried, but then it rapidly decreased and said backup complete so obviously saw the synced files.

However it has left some random 53 photos and videos from different time periods on my iphone despite these having been fully backed up.  Im not sure why that is.  Im now concerned that if I manually delete those 53 photos it will also delete them from google photos.
Thanks
Does the phone have an added sim card?
It has the internal sim card and and added sim card?
Files can be saved to that?
Can you plug it into a PC  SD reader?
This way you should be able to access all the files and then do a copy paste onto a PC.
The Sim card opens as a mass storage drive.
It would be safe to delete them then off the phone.
Syncing them to me is just extra space, if it works like Onedrive did
Onedrive created a folder called OneDrive on the PC then all files in that folder synced with Onedrive in Cloud or online.
So then there is the files on our PC and those in Onedrive.
My experience with Google Drive is that I can move all the files on my PC to an external USB drive.
 It's 4 terrabyte, yet it does not change or remove any files that are uploaded in Google Drive on the web.
I won't use any apps or sync with devices for this reason, when I wish to use the Google Drive or Google photos, the URL to Google Drive on my desktop .open that and upload/drag and drop.
Nothing syncs. Nothing is lost.
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ASKER

This is an iPhone I'm using.
I know that.
Obviously you dont seem to understand my terminology.
To help you
On iOS, deleting photos from Apple's Photos.app will not affect photos uploaded via Google Photos Backup & Sync.
With backup & sync turned on.
You can delete local copies from your mobile device but keep cloud copies saved in your Google Photos library.
18 Things You May Not Have Known Google Photos Can Do
https://www.howtogeek.com/225333/18-things-you-may-not-have-known-google-photos-can-do/

21 tips to make space on iPhone | How to clear space on iPhone
Step 2 of 22: How to clear space on iPhone: Delete apps you don't need
http://www.macworld.co.uk/how-to/iphone/21-tips-make-space-on-iphone-clear-space-on-iphone-3524712/
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ASKER

Sorry for the delay.

I didn't understand your point of "is there an additional sim card".  An iphone only has the one sim card in the sim tray.  Not sure of the relevance of a SD card reader since there is no SD card slot on an iphone.

In any case, I think you answered my origianl question correctly in your first answer.  The photos are not deleted when you delete the app and resinstall it as they are just a link to them.

Thx.
Thankyou u587162
I should have explained it better, all phones/mobile devices have the internal storage a very small mini SD card, however a larger storage SD card can be added for more storage if your Iphone has a lightning Port.
There’s a new accessory ready to bring microSD support to the iPhone 6s and any other iOS device that has a Lightning port.
How to add microSD card support to your iPhone 6s
http://bgr.com/2015/10/14/iphone-6s-microsd-card-support/
But you're right that has nothing to do with losing your files on Google Photo that we answered.
Have a nice a day
Merete