- Google announced changes to its Photos API last September.
- Some of those changes going into effect at the end of March could break compatibility with products like digital picture frames.
- While Google continues to support frames, privacy concerns have forced the company to rethink its approach to API access.
Rita El Khoury / Android Authority
Frame manufacturers like the company Aura have reportedly been contacting users already about what to expect. In Aura’s case, that means losing auto-sync functionality, where the picture frame would pull new photos you uploaded to Google’s cloud as you added them. While you’ll still be able to view pics on the company’s frames, you’ll have to manually select which you want displayed — not the end of the world, but a whole lot less convenient.
At least, that’s what we’re losing, but Google has also been developing new ways for devices like this to access your Photos library in a secure and controlled manner. You may remember that just last month the company shared word that Photos was expanding to new devices — like even your smart fridge — and that includes additional dedicated digital picture frames.
While we don’t yet have full details on what that functionality will necessarily look like, the important takeaway here is that Google isn’t outright abandoning this device class, but making some adjustments on the backend that threaten to disrupt functionality — temporarily or not — for existing photo frames. You should check directly with your manufacturer to find out what that means for you, and what your options look like going forward.