How to Download Original Full Picture or Photo From Google+ Photos?


You might have already uploaded and shared a photo or picture with a person or a circle on Google+ photos. When the person or the circle see’s the picture on their stream, all they can do is double click and view them in Google+ photos.

You’ll find a list of thumbnails and as you click the larger view gets updated, but you couldn’t download the original full picture (there was no option to do it). This was one of the most sought after feature by many using Google+ photos.

Great news!, now with this new update, download of original full photo from Google+ photos is added.

To protect privacy and better control of sharing, you can ONLY download the full image if the person who shared it allows to do so (refer setting below).

Here is how to download the full photo or picture? (refer the screenshot below)

  • From your google+ stream, click on the photo you want to download
  • While you are in Google+ photos (larger view of the picture), click on the Actions drop down button on the bottom of the photo
  • Choose the Download photo option
  • Full photo will be downloaded

Now for the author or the owner of the photo, here are the steps to allow download of the original photo

  • While in your Google+ profile
  • Click on the gear icon on the top most right
  • Click on the Google+ settings
  • Goto the bottom of the screen till you find the Photos section
  • Check the option Allow viewers to download my photos (refer image below)
  • Now whenever you share a photo, all the person or circles you shared with should be able to download photos
Allow viewers to download my photos setting in Google+

Allow viewers to download my photos setting in Google+

Enjoy sharing and downloading of Google+ photos!!

18 Comments

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    • TechNetPK

      To download video from G+ page you need to install any downloader like IDM then play the video on G+ page (You want) after this you’ll see a image appear on the page like (Download the video with IDM) Simply click on this and Store it to your Drive!

  1. Trecentoscalini

    Why isn’t it possible to download the entire album of photos one has shared whit us, as it was with the picasa site? Downloading the photos one by one is rather too much energy to invest.
    Not re-creating this option will chase people away to some other sites for photo share.
    In any case, google+ is far more complicated than picasa and other communitiy sites… think about improving seriously

  2. Ladygennyiva

    I don’t even have that little button for actions. I thought maybe it was because I use Firefox and not Google Chrome, but I opened it with Chrome and still no button for “Actions”.

    • Maqsood

      there is a button of options where you can find full-size image or may be the picture provider has not given the access for downloading

  3. Tank

    Come on, the instruction is sooooo obsolete. Try this:

    1. Look at the bottom left of the screen, there is a VERY SMALL “Options”, click it
    2. Sellect “Download full size”
    3. Choose location to save, then ok, and done

  4. Stirsla

    This is a helpful description.  I would add that the next problem is where on your hard drive to find the photos that you have saved.  On my computer (Windows 7) they went to the default download folder.  The path was something like this:
    ComputerUsersSaraDownloads.              This also shows up as ‘My Downloads’

    The frustration I have is with Google+,  Since I allowed the install of Google+, my Picasa lost the ability to let me upload directly from Picasa.  I used to be able to use Picasa to upload entire albums created in Picasa to Costco and I believe another site too.  Now I have to go painfully one by one to get photos from Google+  into my PC and then try to print them from there.  Is there another program that is friendlier?

  5. Mick Roberts

    Where has the photo’s gone to? I can never find the ruddy folder it has gone to, when I haven’t done if for 6 months & forgot how I find the folder? It’s ok for Google + to say downloaded the photo, but Google+ has put the photo somewhere it hasn’t told us where the folder is. Do the guys that”s invented Google + actually trial this product on normal people? Aah, where are MY photo’s?

  6. Wil Risenhoover

    Use Picasa 3!
    Current version will allow you to download from Google+ individual photos, entire albums and “all albums”. Start Picasa (allow to index the photos you currently have), click , select , then select and …OR… , click boxes representing Albums you want to download and .

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