Quick Access for Google Photos
Native macOS companion for Google Photos: sign in through Google’s official Sign-In SDK for macOS, open your library in your default web browser, and upload photos or videos with queue & progress from the menu bar, Share sheet, Finder Services—or by dropping files onto the Dock icon.
📤 Quick upload
Upload locally through the Photos Library API with batched queues: click Upload from the menu bar, use Share → Upload to Google Photos, or Finder Services → Upload to Google Photos; you can still drag pictures or clips onto the Dock icon when speed matters.
⚡ Quick access
Authenticate with Google’s supported OAuth flow via the Sign-In SDK, then open photos.google.com in Safari, Chrome, or whatever you’ve set as the default browser, so browsing matches the standard Google Photos site you already use.
What you can do
📤 Quick upload from the system
Three core entry points (+ Dock)
- Menu bar: tap the status item and choose Upload, then pick images or movies from the picker
- Share: select files in Photos or Finder—then Share → Upload to Google Photos
- Finder Services: right-click supported files → Services → Upload to Google Photos
- Optional — Dock: drag pictures or clips onto the app icon when you prefer drag-and-drop
- Native uploads go to Google over the Photos Library API with batches, visible progress in the menu bar popover, and persisted queue state across sessions
🌐 Browse Google Photos in your default browser
Trusted web experience plus native shell
- When you choose to browse the library from the app, links open in your default browser, consistent with visiting Google Photos in the browser you use day to day
- Photos, albums, editing, sharing, purchases, and downloads work through the authentic photos.google.com site and your browser’s capabilities
- Companion macOS menus and settings coordinate accounts, uploads, and keyboard-friendly shortcuts separately from the webpage
📊 Menu bar status & queue
Always-visible control
- The status item shows when uploads run, finish, or need attention
- The popover lists batches and per-file status without keeping a browser tab open
- Open the library in your browser, tweak preferences in the native window, or add more files from here
- Closing other windows doesn’t have to pause background uploads that are already running
👥 Multiple Google accounts
- Add multiple Google identities and switch targets from the native account UI
- Signing in uses Google’s Sign-In SDK; the app coordinates which account feeds API uploads without routing your library traffic through Shield Apps servers
- Queues and batches stay tied to the account you selected so switching won’t silently mix uploads
🔐 Privacy-minded design
- OAuth 2.0 via Google’s Sign-In SDK; refreshable tokens reside in the macOS Keychain (the app never sees your Google password)
- No Shield Apps server in the middle: Photos Library requests go straight to Google’s documented endpoints
- Limited Photos Library scope for native uploads (
photoslibrary.appendonly)
How it works
1. Sign in securely
Connect accounts with Google’s official Sign-In SDK on macOS. OAuth tokens are synchronized with Apple’s secure storage—not your password.
2. Quick access
Use the companion UI to jump into Google Photos whenever you’re ready—it opens your default browser while account controls stay native.
3. Quick upload
Menu bar Upload, Share → Upload to Google Photos, Services → Upload to Google Photos, or drop files onto the Dock. Watch batches in the menu bar popover.
4. Keep working
Leave browser tabs alone if you want—the queue lives in the menu bar until uploads finish.
System requirements
- macOS 12 (Monterey) or later recommended
- Internet connection
- Google account with Google Photos
Get started
- Install Quick Access for Google Photos from the Mac App Store
- Sign in with Google Sign-In SDK and approve only the scopes the app explains
- Use Quick upload: menu bar Upload, Share → Upload to Google Photos, Services → Upload to Google Photos, or Dock drag-and-drop
- Use Quick access to open Google Photos in your default browser from the companion UI
DISCLAIMER
Quick Access for Google Photos is independent software from Shield Apps. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or produced by Google LLC.
“Google Photos,” “Google,” and related trademarks are the property of Google LLC. This app authenticates accounts with Google’s Sign-In SDK for macOS, opens Google Photos in your system default browser when you browse the library from the companion, and uses the Google Photos Library API for documented native uploads. Use of Google’s trademarks here is only to describe compatibility.