Google Photos - Automatically Backing Up/Sync with local device

[L3OUGH]

Hi all,

 

I have a school Google Photos account setup and the app is installed via Meraki to all the schools iPads, so when they take photos or videos they are automatically backup and can be accessed via the teachers PC etc.

 

It was working really well, I'm sure when I set this up initially it was a backup only solution, Google Photos would backup any new photos/videos taken on the devices and users could freely delete photos/videos after they'd successfully backed up to the cloud keeping the devices clean from bulking out the storage with photos. I say I'm sure as I use it personally on my Galaxy S6 for all my photos and I'm also positive I used to be able to freely delete photos/videos off my device without the backed up copy being affected.

 

Now I've spotted that this appears to no longer be the case, if you delete a device copy of a photo/video even after it's successfully backed it up they still get deleted from the cloud. This hasn't always been the case has it? Or am I losing the plot and it's always been this way?

 

Thanks

Liam

[ADMaster]

If I attempt to delete a photo from my device through the photos app it used to ask me if I want to delete it everywhere. I just tried to delete a photo and using the trash can at the bottom of the photo it just deletes and says moved to trash. If I use the menu I have the option to delete device copy.

 

There is a option in settings called free up space that I use. It deletes device copies of everything that has been backed up.