Rita El Khoury / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Aura warned users that Google API changes meant that they were losing support for auto-syncing pics from the cloud.
- Shortly thereafter, the company announced that it was working with Google to find a way to restore some kind of similar functionality.
- Now, a year later, Aura shares how the Google Photos Ambient API is re-enabling auto-sync.
Digital photo frames should be one of the simplest smart home products in our lives. They don’t need to be anywhere near as advanced as a multi-purpose screen like a Nest Hub, and all we ask is that they connect to our photo library, and quietly display our pics. But last year, we learned about trouble brewing for many of these gadgets, as changes to Google’s Photos API threatened to break support for picture syncing with frames like those made by Aura. After sharing that it was working on a solution with Google, Aura is finally ready to let us in on exactly how this fix works.
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In a statement shared with The Verge, Aura explains:
With our updated Google Photos integration, you can add photos directly from the Google Photos app or sync an entire Google Photos album to keep Aura frames updated automatically. Photos are sent directly to your Aura frames from Google Photos, without the need for manual uploads.
The trick behind all this is apparently the Google Photos Ambient API. After Google changed how the Photos API worked for privacy reason, frames like Aura’s couldn’t just directly connect to your Photos library in the cloud, forcing users to manually choose what they wanted to see on their frame. But now the Ambient API offers a new path forward, specifically designed for digital picture frames and smart TVs.
You will have to do some minor housekeeping to get this new version of photo sync working, connecting your Google account to the Aura app. Once you do, you’ll be able to add pics directly in Google Photos and have them sync up with your frames. And if you ever do want a little more control over what you’re seeing, you can always explicitly choose one pic or another to display through a new in-app photo selector.
We weren’t expecting to wait quite this long to get news of Aura’s solution, but we’re still glad to finally learn how this valuable feature is managing to make its return.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Google's Photos API changes threatened to break auto-syncing. Aura warned users, then worked with Google on a fix.
Via the Google Photos Ambient API. Add photos directly from the Google Photos app or sync an entire album. Photos go directly to frames without manual uploads.
Some housekeeping: connect your Google account to the Aura app, then add pics in Google Photos to sync. An in-app photo selector offers more control.
A new Google Photos API path designed for digital picture frames and smart TVs, created after privacy-related API changes broke direct cloud connections.
