Sharing Photos with Family in a Fun, New & Collaborative Way

Luckily, there’s an easy way to do it all—and even collaborate in real time with those who matter the most. Best of all, you only need three basic things to pull it off:

• Some good cloud storage
• A suite of integrated family apps everyone can access
• A fun space to connect virtually

Sound like a lot? It’s really not. We’ll take a closer look and show you how three simple tools you may already be using can work together to create a safe and seamless family hub.

1. Cloud storage. Instead of managing a hodgepodge of photos and videos across all your devices and, in some cases, juggling hard copies of them all—consider taking advantage of some free cloud storage. By storing and syncing files and folders in one virtual place, you’ll free up some much-needed ‘real’ space on your actual devices, while also being able to access all those great memories, anytime, anywhere—no matter which device you’re using. If you have hard copies, it’s easy to make digital copies and upload, as well. No more losing track of important photos and videos, or worse, losing them all together. Now, they’re stored, backed up, organized, and protected in the cloud! Be sure to look for a cloud provider that gives you a decent amount of free storage to start—you can always upgrade later if you need it.

   

   

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   [BONUS: Have insurance papers, birth certificates, social security cards, wills, mortgage titles, or other important items that need safe, easily accessible storage? Forget the box under the bed. Look for a cloud provider that includes a virtual vault-like area that requires extra levels of security to access (e.g., SMS code, fingerprint, etc.) You can customize everyone’s access and edit permissions, as needed, making this a great solution for backing-up important paperwork.]

2. Integrated family apps. Now that you have all your important files, folders, videos, and photos in cloud—what’s the easiest way to share them? A good cloud storage provider should also have some intuitive sharing features that let you create your own family group (or any group, e.g. poker club, book club, parent’s association, etc.) and then show you how to create a link to share photos, videos, and other files with everyone in that group. Say you want to share wedding pictures with your in-laws overseas, you just create a group (e.g., Lucas’ family in Barcelona), invite people to it, and once they accept, everyone can see and enjoy what you’ve chosen to share. From then on, you can just click on any file or folder you want to share—select the group you want to show it to—and share away!

3. A space to connect virtually. While sharing is great—doing it in real-time is even more fun. But with family and friends scattered far and wide, getting together is sometimes impossible. That’s when having a shared virtual meeting space that feels like the real thing can really save the day. Be sure to choose one that makes it easy to plan ahead or just instantly invite family groups on the fly—so you can get everyone together seamlessly. Say you’re planning an upcoming family vacation and want to share prospective hotel photos, videos of attractions, travel itineraries, and more—a good family video chat lets you pull it up and share it all instantly during your chat, making planning a breeze. For extra personalization, be sure to choose a video app that includes plenty of fun, integrated themes, and custom backgrounds that make it feel like you’re really together in one place—whether it’s at a cool café, swanky hotel, or a cozy lounge—and look for extras like real-time emoji reactions that add to the fun. What if your family members don’t have the same video chat app? Be sure yours lets you invite them along regardless, so no one feels left out.

Gone are the days of clumsy picture albums, bent photos, and lost or forgotten memories. With a little cloud storage, a good video chat app, and family-friendly features that bring everything together— you’ll have a safe, fun, and secure place to do it all—making your time spent together even more memorable.