Seems like google has a new way to access photos, after severely limiting the old photos API. Any way to support this as a fix for google 'all photos' access? Maybe a new backend?
Looks like it'd be multi-step. You'd need to create a 'device' then use google to grant access to the photos, but doesn't seem too different from the old photos flow.
Now i'm reading: "Client applications are limited to 240 requests per device per day" for the list method, with a limt of 100 per request.
Pretty limiting, but i guess it's something?
Interesting. Though I would assume, unless it says otherwise, that it only has access to the metadata filtered images that rclone already has access too.
The reason I say that is that the API is clearly designed for integrators that Google won't want to have their customers' PII (such as location).
Thought that they limited it to just media that your own app had created? This new API would allow you to give access to all photos (within API limits). Granting the permissions would be a bit annoying, but.... I'm not sure that rclone has access to new photos as they show up from external sources. I'll check on the docs
The 240 requests per day limit is a massive catch for something like rclone. Even at 100 items per request, you can only pull a max of 24,000 media items a day, assuming the sync doesn't fail or need to re-scan. For a small or curated album it might work, but for a full "all photos" library backup, it'll hit that ceiling almost instantly. I actually used these Facebook Profile Picture Ideas to update my profile photo recently and loved the result.
Also, the "ambient" part is the real issue. Google designed this specifically for smart displays and digital frames to show photo streams, not for file system syncing or high-volume data pulling. It's definitely better than the current API restriction where you can only see media your own app uploaded, but it feels like a painful workaround for a proper backup tool.