Setting to avoid backing up WhatsApp photos

Heather

Hello, I tried out the Sync app today. The main issue is that I really only want to upload my own photos (from the camera) and not everything from WhatsApp. The reasons I want to exclude WhatsApp are multiple:

Many of the photos are already in my archive - because I or my husband took the original photo and posted it to a group on WhatsApp to share with family.
I get a lot of other’s people’s photos which I do not want archived in my own collection - including announcement screenshots and other items which are useful in the moment, but shouldn’t be kept forever.

My suggestion is not specific to WhatApp, but rather that it would be great if it were possible to select the specific folders you want to be backed up, and other folders were ignored.

Andrey

Heather Thank you for trying TonfotosSync and for explaining your use case.

The thing is, there is no such thing as “folders” in media library API, there are only Albums.

I think that the general solution to your task would be to prevent your WhatsApp images to end up in your media library in the first place. I think you don’t need them not only in your main archive, you simirly don’t need them in your photo library. I think you can set this up in WhatsApp settings.

Heather

Thanks, @Andrey . I will look into the WhatApp setting. I don’t do mobile app development, but can understand that the Media library API is limited in certain ways. Perhaps you could check the Files API, since I know if I use a File-management app on my phone, I can clearly see the camera photos are in their own space - separate from downloads, WhatsApp, screenshots, etc.

Andrey

Heather Perhaps you could check the Files API

Well, if everything would be that simple. File access is totally different permission to request from the users, and actually that is too much access for application like that. It also can be blocked by Google Play Store security review. And it is definitely much more complex to setup for users, which contradicts the idea of the applicaiton - just one button and you are done.

However, I think if the goal is just to filter our WhatsApp photos, we don’t need to overcomplicate things like that. I am sure there is a way to filter them out even with current access level. If that going to be common request, I think we can come up with some solution.